August 2024 Alzheimer’s News

August 2024 Alzheimer’s News
A protein called Reelin keeps popping up in brains that resist aging and Alzheimer’s. This protein helps assemble the brain early in life, and also appears to protect it from Alzheimer’s and other diseases of aging. Three studies in the past year suggest Reelin helps maintain thinking and memory in ailing brains, and that when Reelin levels fall, neurons become more vulnerable. There is growing evidence the Reelin acts as a “protective factor” in the brain says Li-Huei Tsai, a professor at MIT. “I think we’re on to something important for Alzheimer’s, Tsai said. Their research has inspired efforts to develop a drug that boosts Reelin or helps it function better, as a way to stave off cognitive decline. “You don’t have to be a genius to be like,’ more Reelin, that’s the solution’,” says Dr. Joseph Arboleda-Velasques of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear. “And now we have the tools to do that.”
You can learn more by going to www.alz.org/help-support/resources or the Alzheimer’s Helpline which is accessible 24/7 via 800-272-3900 and staffed by master’s level clinicians to assist with crisis situations, decision making, and disease information. You can find virtual dementia caregiver resources online at alz.org/covid19help. Tools and support are also available in Spanish.
Want to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association and what they do here in St. Louis? Visit alz.org and/or contact PUCC’s Faith Outreach Ambassador with the Alzheimer’s Association, Joyce Ruiz at joyceruiz7@gmail.com