Scientists discover there's FIVE types of Alzheimer's and are hopeful breakthrough could lead to cure
Subtypes differed in abnormal proteins, disease progression and life expectancy
Scientists have discovered there are five types of Alzheimer's, and this may explain why some drugs appear to be ineffective against the condition.
Dutch experts came to this conclusion after examining proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid, found in the brain and spine, of over 400 patients.
Analysing these proteins, they discovered key differences, separating what was once a single condition into five distinct sub-types, with different clinical progression and life expectancy.
By identifying specific types of the disease, scientists now hope they will be able to create targeted, and therefore more effective, treatments.
Alzheimer's, a leading cause of dementia, is a progressive disease of the brain which slowly robs sufferers of their memory. A build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.
As these cells die, the functions they provide are gradually lost, robbing people of their orientation and ability to think and reason, too.
There is no cure, and people with Alzheimer's will have increasing care needs as the disease progresses.
In the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, academics from the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University and Maastricht University in the Netherlands examined 419 patients with Alzheimer's.
They collected cerebrospinal fluid found in the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and examined it for 1,058 proteins.
Comparing the results across the study cohort, they found five different subtypes of Alzheimer's, each with potential clinical implications for their treatment. …
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