&nbsp;
We all wish to have superhero powers to overcome life's challenges. But sometimes superheroes need help too. For example, Thor is a superhero character in Marvel comics and movies, played by Chris Hemsworth. &nbsp;Recently, Chris made a public announcement about his risk of developing Alzheimer's; his grandfather, unfortunately, had Alzheimer's disease <a href="#ref1">1</a>.&nbsp;
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According to WHO, 55 million people live with dementia worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form contributing to 60-70% of cases, and is one of the significant causes of disability and dependency among older people globally <a href="#ref2">2</a>.
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Alzheimer's disease is a disorder that causes degeneration of the cells in the brain marked by loss of cognitive functioning &mdash; thinking, remembering, and reasoning &mdash; and behavioural abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. The risk of disease increases with ageing, but other factors like genetics, head injuries, vascular diseases, infections, and environmental factors can be contributing factors. Currently, there is no cure for this condition, nor can we prevent or diagnose Alzheimer's at its early stages <a href="#ref3">3</a>.&nbsp;
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We can only develop a treatment by understanding disease progression, so we need reliable disease models.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Our research focuses on understanding the mechanism of Alzheimer, and one target is abnormal tau protein metabolism. Tau is a mature neuron's major microtubule-associated protein (MAP). This protein gets hyperphosphorylated in Alzheimer's and accumulates in the brain <a href="#ref4">4</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
One of the targets for treatment can be clearing these protein accumulations. And for that, we can look into the body's self-cleaning mechanism called autophagy.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
We can only prove our hypothesis if we have blood samples or a tiny skin biopsy from patients with Alzheimer's and other usually aged individuals. Therefore, we aim to obtain these samples under informed consent for this work.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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We use cells from blood or small biopsy to create neurons in the laboratory and test probable drug molecules for developing a treatment.&nbsp;
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Our mission is to develop reliable disease models that researchers use to fast create a cure for this neurodegenerative condition and enable healthy ageing.&nbsp;
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If you are at risk of Alzheimer's or have a family member diagnosed with Alzheimer's and would like to volunteer, please get in touch with our team by emailing <a href="https://stemnovate.co.uk/contact-us">info@stemnovate.co.uk.</a><a href="https://stemnovate.co.uk/contact-us">&nbsp;</a>
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References
<ol>
<li><a class="ref1" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63668310">&nbsp;https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63668310</a></li>
<li><a class="ref2" href="2)%20https:/www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia">https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia</a></li>
<li><a class="ref3" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16984-1">Silva, M.C., Nandi, G.A., Tentarelli, S.&nbsp;et al.&nbsp;Prolonged tau clearance and stress vulnerability rescue by pharmacological activation of autophagy in tauopathy neurons.&nbsp;Nat Commun&nbsp;11, 3258 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16984-1.</a></li>
<li><a class="ref4" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01084-8">Lee, JH., Yang, DS., Goulbourne, C.N.&nbsp;et al.&nbsp;Faulty autolysosome acidification in Alzheimer's disease mouse models induces autophagic build-up of A&beta; in neurons, yielding senile plaques.&nbsp;Nat Neurosci&nbsp;25, 688&ndash;701 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01084-8Lee, JH., Yang, DS., Goulbourne, C.N.&nbsp;et al.&nbsp;Faulty autolysosome acidification in Alzheimer's disease mouse models induces autophagic build-up of A&beta; in neurons, yielding senile plaques.&nbsp;Nat Neurosci&nbsp;25, 688&ndash;701 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01084-8</a></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/BVzePsFSTmo?si=kFj_e1Dh_0_sWt8j">Discover our next-generation drug discovery by clicking the link below. Don&rsquo;t forget to subscribe to our channel and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and insights.</a>

<h2>Alzheimer's disease: Volunteers to tackle dementia</h2>
Alzheimer's disease is a brain condition that affects memory and thinking skills leading to dementia
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NEURODEGENERATION

Neurodegenerative Diseases- Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease: Volunteers to tackle dementia

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