Along with the protein amyloid-, the protein medin is accumulated in the blood vessels of Alzheimer patient brains. This co-aggregation was uncovered by D
STANFORD, Calif. As people age, certain cells in the body can become more problematic than others. Scientists at Stanford Medicine compare this to Smokey the Bear suddenly lighting forest fires instead of putting them out. Until now though, researchers didn’t know why the body begins to develop chronic inflammation during old age. They only knew inflammation could lead to cognitive decline in the brain. Now, a new study has discovered that a set of immune cells are to blame leading to the possibility of a new treatment that will reverse the mental damage of age.
Professor Katrin Andreasson, a neurologist at Stanford University, says myeloid cells go into inflammatory overdrive as people age. These cells in the brain, circulatory system, and peripheral tissues fight off infectious intruders. They also clean up debris such as dead cells or clumps of proteins and provide nutrients to healthy cells.