Alzheimer's Breakthrough Gives Hope for Advancement

There's an estimated 5 million people living with Alzheimer's or dementia-related illnesses today. And, as the infamous baby boomer population enters its golden years, experts anticipate that figure to steadily climb.

This coupled with rising costs associated in Alzheimer's care and the harsh nature of the disease - stealing away a person's memories and ability to do simple tasks – has researchers across the world diligently seeking a cure or, at the very least, a method for early detection.

A team of researchers from Loma Linda University's School of Medicine and George Mason University in Virginia have stepped a bit closer in the early detection department. The team, consisting of various neuroscience researchers, has discovered a series of protein biomarkers they believe show a promising link to early detection of Alzheimer's, said Dr. Wolff M. Kirsch, the principal investigator and professor of neurological surgery and biochemistry at Loma Linda University School of Medicine.

"Alzheimer's is sort of a waste basket diagnosis for a lot of dementia-related illnesses," he said in a recent telephone interview.

The study, which was published earlier this year in an internationally recognized medical journal, spanned just over five years. In that time, researchers studied 100 individuals from the Loma Linda area between ages 60 and 80.

"We have a large senior population,'' he said referring to the city of Loma Linda. "This provided us a nice sample for the study."

According to the 10-page article, the team collected blood samples, conducted x-rays and other tests, from individuals considered "cognitively normal, mild cognitively impaired and mild AD (Alzheimer's Disease) participants."

Using mass spectrometry – a scientific measurement or tool used to determine the identities of small particles - researchers identified the biomarkers, according to the article published in the February issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The article is titled The Heme Degradation Pathway is a Promising Serum Biomarker Source for the Early Detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Kirsch worked with Claudius Mueller, who at the time of active research was a graduate student at the Neurosurgery Center for Research, Training and Education with Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He is currently a research assistant professor at the Center for Applied Proteomics & Molecular Medicine at George Mason University. Proteomics is the large-scale study of protein structure and function, officials say.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease which usually begins with gradual forgetfulness about recent events or familiar tasks. In later stages, the person has difficulty communicating, often struggling to find words, finish their thoughts or follow directions.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, the neurodegenerative disease is the seventh leading cause of death and the direct and indirect costs associated with the disease exceeds $170 billion.

Although identifying these biomarkers is considered a breakthrough, Kirsch said there's still more work to be done.

"I don't know. We really don't know,'' Kirsch said about this discovery possibly being the one. "We are still a long way from diagnosing when a person starts to lose their memory. … Our diagnostic capabilities are still somewhat limited. Until we get more specific about the exact cause, we're still a little in the dark."