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Recent advances in brain research are transforming our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD), showing that the disruption of brain circuits begins many years before the familiar hallmarks, such as plaques and tangles, or obvious memory symptoms appear. These discoveries challenge our traditional views about how and when the disease starts, revealing new possibilities for detecting and treating Alzheimer's at its earliest
stages.
In this special UK DRI research webinar, Dr Marc Aurel Busche (UK DRI at UCL) will share his latest findings on the very first changes that occur in AD. His research highlights how two key proteins involved in Alzheimer's, that is, amyloid beta (Abeta) and tau, have different yet crucial roles in disrupting brain function at different stages. Dr Busche will show how Abeta first affects specific types of brain cells, especially those located in deeper layers of the brain's cortex, causing early disturbances in the brain's communication networks.
He will then discuss why tau is more closely linked to memory loss and cognitive symptoms. His recent studies provide a clear mechanism: specific forms of tau disrupt neurons that play a key role in memory, making these neurons less effective and explaining why tau pathology strongly aligns with progression of disease and symptoms.
Finally, Dr Busche will present important new insights into the normal role of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which produces Abeta but also plays an essential part in keeping our brain circuits healthy. This finding has important implications, showing that therapeutic strategies targeting APP must be carefully designed to avoid interfering with its normal, beneficial functions.
Together, these discoveries form a new framework for understanding Alzheimer's disease. They emphasise the need for treatments that focus on the earliest changes in brain circuit function, carefully targeting the harmful effects of Alzheimer's proteins while preserving their important roles in the healthy brain.
