A disease caused by the death of brain cells, 5.5 million people suffer from dementia in the world

New York, September 28, 2023, Thursday

As much attention is given to physical diseases as to mental diseases. Dementia is a mental illness that is taking its toll. More than 5.5 crore people suffer from dementia in the world. Brain cells die in this disease. Brain cells do not regenerate once they are destroyed.

Researchers estimate that two-thirds of people with dementia live in developing countries. It is believed that the number of dementia patients will increase to around 14 crores in the next 25 years. The number of people with this mental disorder is high in China, India, America and sub-Saharan Africa. Dementia has been researched for decades but has not been particularly successful. However, now it is known that a new hope has arisen.

Researchers are in high spirits after the discovery of the active agent lecanemab. This cannot prevent dementia but can definitely slow down its effects from the onset. Understanding the changes in the mind is essential to developing dementia drugs.

The biggest question is why brain cells are destroyed? Researchers know that amyloid and tau proteins build up in the brain, but they don't know how the two cause cell destruction. According to data published in the journal Science, researchers believe there is a direct link between the abnormal proteins amyloid and tau in a process called necroptosis, or cell death. Cell death usually occurs in response to infection or immunity.

Rids the body of unwanted cells. This eventually leads to the growth of the healthy cells that the body has again. When the supply of nutrients stops, the cells begin to swell and the plasma layer is destroyed, at the same time the cells begin to swell and die. Researchers have concluded that brain neurons in dementia become swollen due to amyloid protein. The internal chemical properties of the cells are altered. Amyloid is said to form a clump with the plaque itself. Layers of fiber-like tau protein are called tau tangles.