A new study has found a way to potentially halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
UF professors Dr. Diego Rincon-Limas and Dr. Todd Golde recently finished a two-year study that they published in an issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rincon-Limas said. A $275,000 grant from the National Institute of Health funded their work.
The two developed a device that can limit the amount of amyloid beta buildup in the brain. The amino acid is known as a significant contributor to Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia that affects memory, language and thought, he said.
The researchers tested the levels of buildup and toxicity around neurons in the eyes of fruit flies, Rincon-Limas said. Fruit flies can be easily seen under a microscope, and they reproduce quickly.
“In flies, it works very well,” he said. “We can stop the toxicity for sure.”
The hope is that soon there will be research to show how Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented, stopped or even reversed.
Rincon-Limas said the disease is one that affects 500,000 people in Florida and more than 5 million people nationwide.
“It will be a while until we really understand the underlying mechanisms,” he said. “Meanwhile, having tools that help us understand the disease is making good progress.”
Phil Skinner, a UF industrial and systems engineering junior, said his paternal grandmother has dementia.
“It’s really sad,” the 20-year-old said. “When someone forgets who you are, all of the memories you remember making with them don’t exist.”
His grandmother, who was diagnosed five years ago, used to be an outgoing socialite.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” he said. “It’s really a terrible thing to watch someone suffer from.”
Alzheimer’s disease can be genetic, and the history of it goes back four generations in Skinner’s family.
He said he is glad research is progressing. It gives him hope for his family’s future.
“I hope that we make huge leaps and bounds in the research in the future,” he said. “I hope that research continues and that really soon we can see results.”
