Presenilins Genes and Alzheimer’s Disease
September 21, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Genetic Diseases and Conditions
Researchers have found that mutations in the presenilins genes 1 and 2 are involved in familial Alzheimer’s disease in two ways.
- Forming plaques in the brain that play a role in causing Alzheimer’s disease
- Regulating calcium balance in cells.
The level of calcium can affect cell function with resulting influences on learning and memory. If mutations in the presenilin genes are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s, this would provide a new target for drug and/or gene therapy. Experiments have already shown that restoring the normal version of the presenilin genes leads to normal calcium balance in cells.
NB: Caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease may find our sister blog, Alzheimer’s Notes, interesting and helpful.
Cell, September 8, 2006
Forbes, September 19, 2006
Technorati Tags: alzheimers, alzheimers disease, disease, illness, health, presenilins, genes, genetics, dna
We all start losing memory starting in our 30s.
But the good news is that we can build new cells IF we keep our brain stimulated.
I received a gift from my daughter to join the online brain gym Agogus.com and I personally love it. It offers fun games, new things to learn everyday, daily challenges. We should all workout our brain a few minutes per day.