India discovered cure for Alzheimer's disease

India discovered cure for Alzheimer's disease

This topic is related to IAS/PCS Prelims Exam Current Affairs and Mains Exam General Studies Question Paper-3 Science and Technology.

September 21, 2023

In News:

  • Recently, scientists of Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have discovered a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease from natural polyphenols.
  • This study has been published in the Chemical Sciences Journal.

About Search:

  • According to scientists, the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is completely possible with polyphenols (PP), naturally available in abundance from tannic acid found in the trunks of trees such as chestnut and oak.
  • Ferroptosis-Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be controlled by plant-based polyphenols.
  • This may provide a safe, cost-effective strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • This may help in reducing the social burden such as mental disorders.
  • According to Indian scientists, this treatment could become a highly cost-effective way to deal with Alzheimer's disease in the future.

About Alzheimer's disease:

  • It is a neurological disorder which destroys the nerve cells of the brain.
  • Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia in people aged 55-60 years.
  • It has been found that Alzheimer's disease is caused by abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells.
  • Initially the symptoms of this disease are mild but if it is not treated in time, it becomes a serious and incurable disease.
  • One of the proteins involved in this is called amyloid, whose accumulation forms small pieces around the brain cells and the other protein is called tau.
  • Tau is a type of protein that occurs in tangled structures in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
  • It disrupts the ability of neurons in the brain to communicate with each other.
  • Alzheimer's is an incurable disease because brain cells can regenerate after their death.
  • Women are more at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease:

  • In this disease the physical and mental condition of the patient becomes weak.
  • The patient does not remember anything.
  • The patient's decision making ability decreases.
  • There is a continuous change in the nature of the patient, etc.
  • Some measures to prevent it:
  • There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's disease, but some measures can be taken to prevent it:
  • Helping people keep their brains healthy.
  • Managing the patient's behavioral symptoms.
  • Slowing or delaying the symptoms of the disease.

About Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR):

  • It is a multidisciplinary research institute located in Jakkur, Bangalore, India.
  • The institute was established by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to mark the birth centenary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India.
  • It is considered one of the most prestigious research institutes of India.
  • In 2019, JNCASR was ranked 7th among the top ten research institutions in the world by the journal Nature in a normalized ranking of small research institutions with high-quality output.

Alzheimer's and Dementia in India:

  • More than 40 lakh people in India have some form of dementia.
  • At least 44 million people worldwide suffer from dementia.
  • This disease has become a global health crisis, so it needs to be addressed.

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Mains Exam Question

Currently, Alzheimer's disease has become a global health crisis, so it needs to be addressed. Discuss.