Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Published : May 22, 2020 7:14 PM IST
More than four million people are falling prey to the memory loss associated with this condition. @Shutterstock
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that can be traumatic for both patients and caregivers. India has the third highest number of Alzheimer's patients in the world, after China and US. More than four million people are falling prey to the memory loss associated with this condition. There is no cure for this condition and studies on almost a 100 potential drugs have failed between 1998 and 2011.
So, it is heartening to know that researchers of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have discovered new ways of preventing or reducing short-term memory losses associated with Alzheimer's syndrome. They did this by studying the neurochemical principles of Alzheimer's disease and devised ways to prevent accumulation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain that are associated with short-term memory loss.
For the purpose of the study, researchers resorted to application of low-voltage electric field, and the use of 'trojan peptides' to arrest aggregation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain. A defining hallmark of Alzheimer's is the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides in the brain. The journals ACS Chemical Neuroscience, RSC Advances of Royal Society of Chemistry, BBA and Neuropeptides published this study. According to researchers, they designed the Trojan peptides by adopting a similar approach of 'deceit' to impede the aggregation of the amyloid peptide, arrest the formation of toxic fibrillar assemblies, and reduce poisoning of nerve cells that leads to memory loss. They say that this may delay short term memory loss by almost 10 years.
In 2019, the IIT Guwahati scientists found that application of a low-voltage, safe electrical field can reduce the formation and accumulation of toxic neurodegenerative molecules that cause short-term memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. They found that external electric/magnetic field modulates the structure of these peptide molecules, thereby preventing aggregation. According to researchers, upon exposure to electric field, they could retard the degeneration of nerve cells to an extent of 17 35 per cent. Objectively, this would translate to about 10 years delay in the onset of the disease.
Working further in this area, the scientists explored the possibility of using 'Trojan peptides' to arrest aggregation of these neurotoxic molecules. Though they say that this research has provided a different path that may extend the onset of Alzheimer's disease, they also caution that further testing on animal models and clinical trials are needed before bringing in such new therapeutic approaches into human treatment.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease and it may progress very slowly. Hence, you may not be able to spot the symptoms if you are not alert. Usual symptoms are memory loss, difficulty in problem solving and completing familiar tasks and confusion regarding time and place. Vision loss and difficulty in forming words come later on. Some other symptoms may be mood and personality changes too.
