Group Members Date: 07/14/2017

Patel Meet V. Section: BCH 2-5

Patel Tirth B. Subject: BIOCH113
Patel Arpan P.

ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
This is an 80-year-old man who presents with impairment in cognitive function, associated with altered
mood and behavior. His family reported that he was having progressive disorientation and memory loss
toward the past six months. He had trouble handling money and paying bill. He repeated questions, took
longer to complete normal daily tasks, had poor judgment, and had developed mood and personality
changes. There was no family history of dementia. The routine blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
analysis was unremarkable. After a computerized tomography scan and histopathological examination of
brain tissue, the patient was diagnosed as having Alzheimers disease.

Guide Questions:
1. What are the biochemical defects involved in Alzheimers disease?
AD has been identified as a protein misfolding disease due to the accumulation of abnormally
folded amyloid beta protein in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. AD is also considered
a tauopathy due to abnormal aggregation of the tau protein, a microtubule-associated
protein expressed in neurons that normally acts to stabilize microtubules in the cell cytoskeleton.
Neuroinflammation is also involved in the complex cascade leading to AD pathology and
symptoms.

2. Are there genetic risk factors to the disease?

The best known genetic risk factor is the inheritance of the 4 allele of the apolipoprotein
E (APOE). Mutations in the TREM2 gene have been associated with a 3 to 5 times higher risk of
developing Alzheimer's disease. A suggested mechanism of action is that when TREM2 is
mutated, white blood cells in the brain are no longer able to control the amount of beta amyloid
present. PSEN-1(chromosome 14) and PSEN-2(Chromosome 1) genes are coding for -secretase,
If these genes get mutated the Amyloid precursor protein (APP) gets chopped up by -secretase
from wrong place.

3. What groups of drugs are mainly used in the treating Alzheimers disease? How do they
exert their effects? Are these drugs able to cure Alzheimers disease or not?

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4. Is there a relationship between diet and the risk for Alzheimers disease?
Current evidence suggests that heart-healthy eating may also help protect the brain. Heart-healthy
eating includes limiting the intake of sugar and saturated fats and making sure to eat plenty of
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. No one diet is best. Two diets that have been studied and
may be beneficial are the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the
Mediterranean diet. The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and fat-free or low-fat dairy
products; includes whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, nuts, and vegetable oils; and limits
sodium, sweets, sugary beverages, and red meats. A Mediterranean diet includes relatively little
red meat and emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish, and nuts, olive oil
and other healthy fats.

References:

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