There are many interesting scientific topics that can be very informative to the public. There are many that are worth learning about and one that the public should make an effort in learning more on are diseases that result in inhibition and blockage of receptors in the brain. One of these diseases is called Alzheimer’s Disease. According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common types of dementia that affects the parts of the brain that control thoughts, language, and memory [1]. The risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age with almost six million people living with Alzheimer’s as of 2020 [1]. So far, research on Alzheimer’s is currently ongoing with more information learned each day.
A recent study on Alzheimer’s was done by looking at how Insulin signaling pathways and other molecules affect the progression of Alzheimer’s in people. It was learned that Insulin pathways in the brain, normally controlling the clearance of amyloid Beta and tau metabolism, can be blocked by the presence of a repressor protein [2]. This blockage’s outcome is the development of resistance against Insulin, which would then lead to Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, there are ways that the body can prevent Alzheimer’s from occurring. There is more than one pathway that contains inhibition and activation enzymes occurring within the brain that influences the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. One pathway through Insulin signaling is with Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) presence. PI3K is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is responsible for the activation of Akt, an oncogene responsible for maintaining cellular functions like metabolism, transcription, protein synthesis, proliferation, growth and survival of neurons [2]. The activation of Akt would then lead to the phosphorylation inactivation of GSK-3 Beta, a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase with multiple signaling processes, such as insulin signaling pathways [2]. Since GSK-3 Beta is an important factor in Alzheimer’s development, it’s inhibition caused by PI3K is important. If GSK-3 Beta was not inhibited, this would lead to tau phosphorylation and increased assembly of amyloid plaques causing symptoms of dementia and cognitive impairment [2]. With all these steps in mind, this shows that PI3K is an important factor to stop the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
While these factors play a significant role in Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s can also be caused by factors in a person’s life that are not just medical. For example, traumatic or stressful events happening in a person’s life could increase their chances of getting Alzheimer’s [3]. Such events could include being fired from a job, divorce from a significant other, witnessing combat, declaring bankruptcy, and the death of a family member [3]. These factors show that an increase in anxiety levels or stress can lead to Alzheimer’s progressing at a faster rate. This is more evident in further studies on Alzheimer’s disease.
As depicted in the study, inhibition of insulin signaling pathways causing neurodegenerative processes linked to the progression of Alzheimer’s, and other diseases such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s [3]. It would be very beneficial to learn more about how Alzheimer’s affects a person from both external factors that are in the form of stressful scenarios for the person and internal factors that are within the person’s body.
