Alzheimer's disease and amyloid beta | Immune system and amyloid beta
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating diagnosis for a family to receive. Alzheimer's disease is caused by two different proteins going out of control, amyloid beta and tau, and the immune system response to these proteins. Amyloid beta clumps together and stop the cells of your brain (neurons) from working. Tau stabilizes the neurons, and without tau working properly the neurons system of transportation collapses. Amyloid beta forms large clumps known as plaques and tau tangles up the neuron's "highway" (the axon) which eventually kill the neuron. The immune cells of the brain, microglia and astrocytes, respond to amyloid beta and tau. They are initially helpful, but over time lead to increased inflammation in the brain. The increased inflammation makes Alzheimer's disease worse. Future therapeutics should focus on determining if Alzheimer's disease is a disease of proteins out of control or an inflammatory immune system out of control.
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