As of this year, there are a total of 4.5 million individuals in America who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated 10 million more will develop this disease. It is the 7^th main cause of death in the United States and every 71 seconds a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The question on our minds would be what are we doing about this? With so many people falling victim to this disease, are we any closer to finding a cure? The main problem for curing Alzheimer’s is looking for a way to stop deadly plaques from forming or staying stagnant in the brain. For now, the only safe way has been to administer medication during the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s in hopes of destroying any plaque build-up.

For now, there are three dramatic discoveries for curing Alzheimer’s that can give us all hope for future care and cure of Alzheimer’s. The first is Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis’ Gene Transfer Therapy. This procedure consists of inserting tiny needles in the brain that are affected by Alzheimer’s. Dr. Zoe believes that medication can then be administered directly to the affected area of the brain. The procedure is now undergoing patient trial. The patient has claimed that he has no longer been experiencing memory loss. Although it is still too early in the trial process to determine long-term result, the current results of the trials show promise. The second is nutritional combat. Research shows that a healthy intake of omega-3 (found in canola, walnut and flaxseed oil to name a few) in a person’s diet can help improve brain functions. This is considered a positive indication for the elderly that suffer from Alzheimer’s. Omega-3 helps in the expansion of LR11. LR11 a protein that is lacking in patients with Alzheimer’s because of the disease’s degenerative process. The final discovery is from German scientist. They are researching on ways to be on the offensive against the disease. Their answer is molecular attacks. They are researching different ways to stop the plaques from forming in the first place. They have discovered that blocking beta-secretase in the blood makes the harmful plaque forming enzymes to be easily targeted. They are looking for ways to get past the natural wall that guards the brain from molecular entry. Once they find a way to do this, it will be easier to deliver beta-secretase inhibitors to targeted areas. This will help avoid any unnecessary harm to other unaffected brain cells.

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that robs the elderly of their ability to function. This is the reason why most families are forced to put their elderly in nursing homes instead of having them at home with their family. Hopefully, with worldwide efforts of looking for a cure for Alzheimer’s, a breakthrough may be possible soon.