Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder(1-3) causing progressive loss of cognitive functions leading to dementia and death.(4) Older age is the highest risk factor for AD (3, 5) and the prevalence of AD rises from 3% among those 65-74years to almost 50% among those >85year(2). An estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages had AD in 2013(1). It currently affects more than 33.9million people worldwide(4) and is predicted to be affecting more than 80million people worldwide by 2040(3) which makes treating AD a pertinent issue to be dealt with at present.
Epigenetic (defined as reversible regulation of various genome functions, occurring without change in DNA sequence)(6, 7) , modification has recently emerged as one of the
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Among them the HDACs linked to cognitive impairment in AD pathology are thought to be Class 1, HDAC 2 associated with associative and spatial memory impairment.(8) Either activating HAT or inhibiting HDAC can defend histone deacetylation but latter has proven more achievable than former(15)
HDAC inhibitors are classified into 4 main chemical families. 1. Carboxylic acids- eg Sodium butyrate, valporic acid, 4phenylbutyrate acts on Class 1 HDAC. 2. Hydroxamic acid- eg: Trichosatin, SAHA acts on Class 1 and 2 HDCA. 3. Benzamide group- eg: MS275 acts on Class 1 HDAC and 4. Cyclic tetrapeptides- Tapoxin.(15) Researches have focused mainly on class 1 and class 2 HDACi as treatment option for cognitive enhancement in AD.(21-23) The studies conducted on mouse models with AD related neurodegeneration treated by sodium butyrate(24) (Class 1 HDACi) showed rescue of cognitive functions, by acting through HDAC2 inhibition. The same models treated with SAHA, TSA (Class 2HDACi) and valporic acid (22, 23)(Class 1 HDACi) showed contextual fear and memory loss abolished.(15, 25) Also studies have shown HDACis successfully used as cognitive enhancers in invertebrates. (15)
Together these researches shows that targeting histone modifications and HDAC inhibitors can have a promising therapeutic role as cognitive enhancer in AD(11, 12, 19, 26).HDAC inhibitors are also currently researched as treatment option for many disease conditions(27-31). Epigenetics in AD can be
Alzheimer’s disease is a prominent brain disease that effects a massive amount of individuals in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases, with no chance of being cured, prevented or decelerating over time (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). AD is the most well-known form of dementia, causing complications in brain function in the areas of memory, thinking, and behavior (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers create new knowledge about the disease, which is then distributed to the public. The goal in this information disbursement is to find new and inventive ways to treat AD, prevent AD from progressing at such a rapid pace, and aid in the quality of life in those diagnosed with AD as well as caregivers and medical professionals providing treatment to individuals’ with AD.
Lifestyle changes to help prevent AD, according to The Alzheimer’s Prevention Foundation International include ‘four pillars of building a better memory”; diet and vitamins, stress management, exercise and pharmaceutical drugs. Diet and vitamins: the brain requires nutrition, blood flow and energy that comes from a diet that is moderate in calories, high in good fats and clean proteins. Stress management: reducing depression and improving your ability to deal with stressful situations. Exercise: mental and physical exercise is essential for brain health. Effective workouts include brisk walking, swimming, and Tai chi mental exercise such as visiting museums, crossword puzzles, reading, taking educational classes, and socializing with friend’s arte all excellent ways to keep your brain in shape. Pharmaceutical drugs: medications such as Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl, and Namenda, taken with the supervision of a physician, can play an important role in delaying the progression of mild memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease. Natural hormone replacement
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).
As AD is a progressive disease with no currently known cure, all current treatments are aimed at slowing the progression of the disease; these treatments have been available since 1993 (Geldmacher et al., 2011). The desired
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. AD typically involves the development of a progressive neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by gradual memory impairment, loss of acquired skills and emotional disturbances (Lee, Y. J., Han, S. B., Nam, S. Y., Oh, K. W., & Hong, J. T.). Every 67 seconds an individual in the United States develops AD. AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There are 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with AD (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). AD is one of the few degenerative diseases that cannot be prevented, stopped, or cured (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). Post-mortem examination of the brain of AD patients usually
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 85. (Beattie, 2002) Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory. (Beattie, 2002)
Episodic memory, or personal life events, is affected in the earlier stages of AD. In the beginning, cognitive deficits do not begin showing symptoms in the patient (Vos, 2013). AD prevents those suffering from it to not be able to create or retain any new memories. AD can be linked to the semantic memory, or factual knowledge of an individual, that is stunted when influenced by AD. People with AD are not able to use facts or general knowledge such as connecting an object to a specific category or specifying simple associations. With procedural memory, or the storage for simple skills that become involuntary to an individual without thinking about it, AD impairs the patient’s ability to use this knowledge that they would have otherwise known. Finally, with working memory, a patient with AD is unable to process new memories. It is possible to recall older memories, but at one point, new memories are unable to be encoded. The primary functions of memory that are impacted the most in AD are the episodic memory and semantic memory, followed by procedural memory and working memory. These factors cause the brain to stop being functional to some extent, creating
Currently, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s has also worked its way up to the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Not only does this disease take the lives of the victims, but it also takes a perhaps bigger toll on the caregivers. The longer a victim lives with Alzheimer’s, the more extensive time, effort, money, and caution a caregiver has to provide. Today, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However, there are new treatments that slow the progression of the disease, and there are also new ways for doctors to diagnose it earlier. It is amazing that something that affects so many people is so difficult to have
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is a type of dementia that no one would ever want their grandmother or grandfather to suffer from, as it destroys memory and other important mental functions of its sufferer. Alzheimer's disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. While the age 65 and older is its target age, it has consumed the lives of over 1.9 million people. The brain begins to show signs of damage in the hippocampus, the part of the brain essential in forming memories. As more neurons die, parts of the brain then begin to shrink. By the final stage of Alzheimer’s, damage is widespread, and brain tissue has shrunk significantly. The idea that Alzheimer’s disease is related to age in 1974 was introduced
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia worldwide, accounting for approximately 60-70 % of all cases.1-3 AD is a highly debilitating disorder, progressing from minor memory problems to a complete loss of cognitive functions and eventually death. Prevalence increases exponentially with
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. To date, it is officially ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States; however, recent estimates indicate that the disorder may actually rank third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as a cause of death for older people. Alzheimer’s, also known as senile dementia, is predominantly the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities, particularly thinking, remembering, and reasoning, to such an extent that it interferes with an
Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.
Furthermore, despite the precise HDAC2-Sp3 being targeted by 2C in mice, Tsai points out that they cannot conclusively confirm that 2C does not impact any of the other co-regulators that work with HDAC2. The last hurdle that prevents large-scale production is that all of the work done in this research article was conducted on mice and not on Homo sapiens. Mice or Mus are completely different organism than Homo sapiens, so the research conducted on the Mus cannot be directly applicable to Homo sapiens. One hurdle is the age differences of both species as Mus can live for around 2 years (Harrison et al, 2010) whereas Homo sapiens can live for tens of years longer. For age-dependent diseases like AD, the age difference may prove to be an obstacle. The brains of Mus also differ in size, shape, and composition than that of Homo sapiens, therefore research must be done to see if these differences negatively impact the research and innovations of Tsai and her team. Despite the mice having modeled memory gene blockage by the HDAC2-Sp3 complex, research must be done to confirm that the findings are applicable to Homo
We found positive effects of xamoterol on cognitive function in mouse models of DS (Salehi et al., 2009). While the molecular mechanisms behind this effect are yet to be elucidated, it has been shown that chronic treatment of adult 5XFAD mouse model of AD with xamoterol can normalize gene expression for a number of inflammatory factors including CD74, CD14 and TGFβ in the cortex. In addition, the similar effects were found on immunoreactivity for amyloid (6E10) and early neurofibrillary degeneration in these mice {Ardestani, 2017 #134}.