If knowledge is power, then some recent news on the Alzheimer's front is a real shot in the arm:
"In the biggest such study to date, research institutions including the University of Miami have identified four genes implicated in causing Alzheimer's disease."
Unfortunately, there are believed to be "as many as 100 genes linked to Alzheimer's;" still, scientists involved in the study believe that they're well on the way to identifying the rest within the next few years. Of course, that doesn't guarantee that there is a cure, or that we'll find it if there is. On the other hand, the more we learn, the more likely it becomes that we'll at least begin to understand the mechanism. And this, in turn, could "help pharmaceutical companies create drugs aimed specifically at the faulty genes," as well as helping identify folks with an increased risk of contracting the dread disease.
In addition to the human cost, there's big bucks involved, as well: "Alzheimer's today afflicts 3 to 5 million Americans and costs $24.6 billion a year for healthcare."
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
"In the biggest such study to date, research institutions including the University of Miami have identified four genes implicated in causing Alzheimer's disease."
Unfortunately, there are believed to be "as many as 100 genes linked to Alzheimer's;" still, scientists involved in the study believe that they're well on the way to identifying the rest within the next few years. Of course, that doesn't guarantee that there is a cure, or that we'll find it if there is. On the other hand, the more we learn, the more likely it becomes that we'll at least begin to understand the mechanism. And this, in turn, could "help pharmaceutical companies create drugs aimed specifically at the faulty genes," as well as helping identify folks with an increased risk of contracting the dread disease.
In addition to the human cost, there's big bucks involved, as well: "Alzheimer's today afflicts 3 to 5 million Americans and costs $24.6 billion a year for healthcare."
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
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