Alzheimer's Disease
Devastating. It’s not too strong a word for Alzheimer’s disease. It wreaks havoc with memory and behavior. It gets worse over time. It’s fatal. And more than 5 million Americans have it.
Alzheimer’s disease damages and ultimately kills brain cells. The primary suspects are structures called plaques, made up of deposits of protein fragments, and tangles, twisted fibers of another protein within cells. Scientists theorize that plaques and tangles clog communication channels between cells and disrupt processes the cells need to survive. But they still don’t know exactly what happens in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Alzheimer’s disease research at The Jackson Laboratory
Jackson Laboratory researchers are investigating brain function in new ways that shed light on how the brain ages and the problems that can occur. Alzheimer’s disease is one of many diseases that are called neurodegenerative diseases—they involve dysfunction or death of brain tissue. Research at the Laboratory includes investigations of protein assembly malfunctions that may disrupt brain cell function and the role of agrin in the formation of plaques.
