Umuthi Ongaba Khona Uholela Ekusasa Eliqhakazile Lesifo I-Alzheimer's

Isifo i-Alzheimer kanye nezifo ezihlobene nokuwohloka komqondo ziphakathi kwezifo ezikhubaza kakhulu ohlelweni lwethu lwezempilo, ngezindleko zomhlaba ezingaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingama-US600 ngonyaka. Njengoba inani lamacala e-Alzheimer likhula ngezigidi ezingu-7.5 ngonyaka, lezi zindleko zizokhula kuphela. Abantu bamanje abayizigidi ezingama-48 abaxilongwa bayizisulu zokugula okubi kakhulu emhlabeni wonke, okubangela ubunzima obukhulu ohlelweni lwezempilo lomhlaba wonke kanye nokuqeda amandla umnotho wethu womhlaba.

Lokhu akugcini nje ngokusithinta kwezomnotho, kushintsha kakhulu izimpilo zalabo abaxilongwayo kanye nabathandekayo babo. Isifo i-Alzheimer's ngokuvamile sivela ezigulini ezineminyaka engu-65 noma ngaphezulu (nakuba i-Alzheimer's esanda kuqala ingase ivele kulabo abaneminyaka engu-40 noma engu-50). Ngalesi sikhathi iningi lenza uguquko lokuya empeshenini futhi libhekene nokwethulwa kwesizukulwane esisha sabazukulu; kodwa iziguli eziningi ze-Alzheimer’s azikhumbuli nokuthi zinabazukulu. Ngeshwa, lokhu kulahlekelwa kwenkumbulo ngokuvamile kuhambisana nokudideka, intukuthelo, ukuziphatha okuyingozi nokushintsha kwemizwelo, nokudideka. Lo mthwalo udabukisa imindeni njengoba ilahlekelwa abantu ebathanda kakhulu. 

Siyini ngempela isifo se-Alzheimer?

Ngokusho kwe-Alzheimer's Association, isifo i-Alzheimer's "igama elijwayelekile lokulahlekelwa inkumbulo namanye amakhono obuhlakani abucayi ngokwanele ukuthi aphazamise impilo yansuku zonke". Kuwuhlobo oluvame kakhulu lokuwohloka komqondo, olubalelwa kumaphesenti angama-60-80 azo zonke izimo. Ngokuvamile, abantu baphila isilinganiso seminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ngemva kokuxilongwa kwe-Alzheimer's, nakuba abanye sebephile iminyaka engama-20. Okuqala ngokushintsha kwemizwa emnene nokulahlekelwa inkumbulo, kuqhubekela ekuwohlokeni okuphelele kobuchopho okuhambisana nokulahlekelwa ikhono lokukhuluma, ukuqaphela noma yibaphi abanakekeli namalungu omndeni, kanye nekhono lokuzinakekela. Lesi sifo nakho konke esikuhlanganisayo kuyadabukisa ngempela.

Ezingeni lamangqamuzana, ama-neurons abonakala ewuhlobo oluyinhloko lwamangqamuzana abhujiswa yisifo i-Alzheimer's. Lokhu kwenzeka ngokuphazamiseka ekulethweni kwemizwa kagesi phakathi kwama-neurons kanye nokukhululwa kwe-neurotransmitter. Lokhu kubangela ukuphazamiseka ekuxhumaneni okuvamile kwezinzwa ebuchosheni, kushintsha indlela umuntu ahumusha ngayo izimo zansuku zonke. Ekugcineni, isifo se-Alzheimer esithuthukile sizoholela ekufeni kwezinzwa, futhi ngaleyo ndlela ukulahlekelwa okuphelele kwezicubu kanye nokuncipha okulandelayo ebuchosheni - okukhulu kunakho konke okuvela ku-cortex, ingxenye enkulu yobuchopho. Ikakhulukazi, i-hippocampus, ebhekele ukwakheka kwezinkumbulo ezintsha, ikhombisa ukuncipha okukhulu kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, lokhu kuyimbangela yokulahlekelwa inkumbulo kanye nokungakwazi ukukhumbula izenzakalo zamanje nezesikhathi esidlule empilweni yesiguli.  

Ngokuqondene nembangela eqondile ye-Alzheimer's, ososayensi bebelokhu bephendula imibuzo iminyaka eminingi. Kodwa-ke, muva nje iningi lososayensi livumile ukuthi i-pathogenesis eyinhloko yalesi sifo inhlanganisela ye-β-amyloid ne-tau protein. Ezigabeni zokuqala zesifo, kuba nokunqwabelana kwe-β-amyloid plaque, ephazamisa ukusayinda kobuchopho futhi ibangele ukusabela komzimba okubangela ukuvuvukala okuqhubekayo nokufa kwamangqamuzana. 

Njengoba lesi sifo siqhubeka, kuba nokwanda okulandelayo kweprotheni yesibili, eyaziwa ngokuthi i-tau. Iprotein ye-Tau idilika ibe imicu esontekile eyakha emangqamuzaneni, yakhe ama-tangles. Lawa ma-tangles aphazamisa ngokuqondile uhlelo lokuthutha kumaprotheni, ngakho-ke aphazamise ukudluliselwa kwama-molecule okudla nezinye izingxenye zamangqamuzana ezibalulekile ekusebenzeni kwengqamuzana. Ukutholakala kwalawa maprotheni kuye kwaba uguquko ocwaningweni lwe-Alzheimer's, njengoba kunikeze ososayensi ithuba elingase libe yimpokophelo yokuthatha isinyathelo ekuvimbeleni nasekwelapheni isifo i-Alzheimer's.

Okwedlule 

Ukutadisha ku Ucwaningo lwe-Alzheimer kanye Nokwelashwa waphetha ngokuthi phakathi kuka-2002 no-2012, ukuhlolwa kwe-Alzheimer's disease kwe-413 kwenziwa. Kulezi zivivinyo, umuthi owodwa kuphela owagunyazwa ukuthi usetshenziswe abantu, kodwa izinga lawo lokwehluleka laliphezulu ngokushaqisayo ngama-99.6%. Ngisho newebhusayithi yomuthi, eyaziwa ngokuthi i-NAMZARIC, inombhalo wokuzihlangula ophawulekayo, othi “abukho ubufakazi bokuthi i-NAMZARIC ivimbela noma ibambezela inqubo yesifo etholakala ezigulini ezinesifo i-Alzheimer’s”.

Ngokocwaningo lwe-Consumer Report ngo-2012, “ucwaningo olutholakalayo lubonisa ukuthi abantu abaningi ngeke bathole nzuzo nhlobo ngokuphuza imithi [yesifo i-Alzheimer’s]”. Ucwaningo luyaqhubeka nokusho ukuthi ngenxa “yentengo ephezulu uma kuqhathaniswa kanye nengozi yemiphumela engemihle, okuhlanganisa nokukhathazeka okungavamile kodwa okubucayi kwezokuphepha, ngeke sikwazi ukuncoma noma yimiphi imithi”. Lokhu kusho ukuthi okwamanje awukho umuthi owodwa ongalapha, uvimbele noma ulawule izimpawu zesifo i-Alzheimer’s. Labo abaxilongwa abanazo ezinye izindlela ngaphandle kokunqotshwa ukugula kwabo.   

Naphezu kwala maqiniso, abantu abaningi abazi ukuthi isifo i-Alzheimer's aselapheki. Lokhu kungenzeka kakhulu kungenxa yokuhlanekezela amaqiniso kokutholakele emphakathini. Esikhathini esidlule, izifundo eziningi zezidakamizwa ezishiwo ngenhla zibonise izinguquko ezilinganiselwe ebuchosheni, kodwa azimeli ngokunembile noma yiziphi izinguquko ekuphileni kwesiguli. Lokhu kuletha ulwazi olukhohlisayo emphakathini, njengoba sicabanga ukuthi lokhu okutholakele kubalulekile. Izidakamizwa azigcini nje ngokuba nomphumela omncane, kodwa zengeza engcupheni yemiphumela engemihle emikhulu njengokulimala kwesibindi ngokwedlulele, ukuncipha okukhulu kwesisindo, isiyezi esingapheli, ukuntula isifiso sokudla, ubuhlungu besisu, kanye nemiphumela eminingi engemihle emincane, kanye nezingozi zesisindo. izinzuzo ezilinganiselwe. Kungenxa yalokhu okwenza u-20-25% weziguli zigcine seziyeka ukuphuza imithi yazo. Ingasaphathwa eyokuthi le mithi ingabiza iziguli kuze kufike ku-$US400 ngenyanga.

Umuthi wokugoma 

Akuyona imfihlo ukuthi kukhona okumele kuguquke. I-United States iyodwa yenze ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-US1.3 ocwaningweni lwe-Alzheimer kulo nyaka ngaphandle kokubonisa lutho ngaphandle kokwehluleka okulandelanayo kanye nemiphumela elinganiselwe ekwelashweni kwezidakamizwa. Lokhu kushiye isicelo sokuphelelwa ithemba sokuthile okuqinile nokuhlukile. Kubonakala sengathi abacwaningi base-Australia eNyuvesi yaseFlinders, kanye nososayensi base-U.S. e-Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) kanye neNyuvesi yaseCalifornia e-Irvine (UCI), basiphendulile lesi sicelo sosizo. Ithimba lisendleleni eya ekwenzeni umuthi wokugoma ozolapha isifo i-Alzheimer's.

Njengoba kushiwo ngaphambili, i-β-amyloid plaque buildup kanye ne-tau protein tangles muva nje kuthiwe iyimbangela yesifo i-Alzheimer's. U-Nikolai Petrovsky, uProfesa Wezokwelapha eNyuvesi yaseFlinders e-Adelaide, eNingizimu ye-Australia kanye nengxenye yethimba elithuthukisa umgomo, uqhubeka echaza ukuthi umsebenzi wamaprotheni ekubangeleni isifo se-Alzheimer's uboniswe kumagundane e-transgenic. 

“Lawa magundane ashintshashintshayo athola uhlobo olusheshayo lokuwohloka komqondo olingisa i-Alzheimer’s yomuntu isifo,” kusho uPetrovsky. "Izindlela zokwelapha ezihlanganisa imithi yokugoma kanye namasosha omzimba we-monoclonal avimba ukunqwabelana kwe-β-amyloid noma i-tau [amaprotheni] kulawa magundane kuwavimba ukuba abe nokuwohloka komqondo, okuqinisekisa indima eyimbangela yokwakheka kwala maprotheni angajwayelekile."

Ngakho-ke, ukuvimbela ngempumelelo isifo, noma ukuselapha ezigabeni zokuqala, umuthi wokugoma ongaba khona kuzodingeka ukuthi uqale uphazamise i-β-amyloid ngokuqondisa ngokuqondile ukwakheka koqweqwe. Ukuze welaphe ezigabeni zakamuva zesifo, umgomo kuzodingeka uphazamise ukusebenza kwamaprotheni e-tau. Ukuxazulula le nkinga, ososayensi bekufanele bathole umuthi wokugoma owawuzophazamisa kokubili, ngesikhathi esisodwa noma ngokulandelana.

Ngakho-ke ithimba lazimisela ukuthola umuthi wokugoma ozosebenzisana ngempumelelo namaprotheni ngesikhathi esidingekayo ukuze usebenze, kusetshenziswa ubuchopho besiguli se-Alzheimer's post-mortem. Okutholakele ocwaningweni lwabo, kukhishwe ngo Imibiko yeSayensi ngoJulayi 2016, waqinisekisa ukuthi umgomo ofana nalona wawungenzeka kusetshenziswa izithako ezimbili ezibonakale zibalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwawo. Eyokuqala kwakuyi-adjuvant esekelwe kushukela ebizwa ngokuthi i-Advax^CpG. NgokukaPetrovsky, ukusetshenziswa kwalesi sithasiselo “kusiza ukunikeza ama-B cell isikhuthazo esikhulu sokukhiqiza amasosha omzimba athile.” Lokhu kwahlanganiswa nenkundla yesibili yokugoma, eyaziwa ngokuthi ubuchwepheshe be-MultiTEP. Lokhu “kwaklanyelwe ukuhlinzeka ngosizo olukhulu lwama-T cell kumasosha omzimba akhiqiza amaseli B, ngaleyo ndlela kusize ukuqinisekisa ukuthi umgomo unikeza amazinga anele amasosha omzimba ukuze asebenze kahle.”

Ikusasa eliqhakazile

Sibonga ithimba le-Flinders University kanye ne-Institute of Molecular Medicine, ikusasa locwaningo lwesifo i-Alzheimer's libonisa isithembiso. Imiphumela yabo yakamuva izohola indlela yekusasa le-Alzheimer’s Disease Research, phambilini ebiyaziwa ngokuthi “indawo yamathuna okuhlolwa kwezidakamizwa ezibizayo”.

Umuthi wokugoma owenziwe uPetrovsky kanye nethimba ukhombise ukunxenxa izikhathi ezingaphezu kweziyi-100 inani lamasosha omzimba kunemithi ehlulekile esikhathini esedlule. Ithimba lizuze lokhu ngokwakha umuthi wokugoma onomumo ophelele we-3D ozoheha amasosha omzimba adingekayo ukuze abophe amaprotheni e-β–amyloid kanye ne-tau ngendlela efanele. UPetrovsky uthi, “Lokhu akwenziwanga kwabaningi abafeyilile okungenzeka ukuthi, ngenxa yalokho, abazange bakhiqize amasosha omzimba anele noma uhlobo olufanele lwe-antibody.”

UPetrovsky ulindele ukuthi “umgomo uzoqala izivivinyo zokwelashwa kwabantu cishe eminyakeni emibili. Uma kubonakala kusebenza ngempumelelo ezivivinyweni ezinjalo singalindela ukuthi ibe semakethe cishe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa.”