Shenzhen: Women are twice as likely as men to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to epidemiological studies, although the origin of this phenomenon is unknown. However, a recent study may offer the answers. The research was published in the scientific journal 'Nature.'
Alzheimer's is a disease in which a person gradually forgets what they know. It is a painful punishment, both for those who are subjected to it and for those who are responsible for their care.
Prof. Keqiang Ye of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) conducted the investigation, which provided a clear answer to a question that has perplexed mankind for decades.
Prof. Ye's team created the notion that the C/EBPb/AEP pathway was the central factor driving the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders by combining their previous findings. "Based on this hypothesis, our team looked for female hormones that vary drastically during menopause and examined which hormone stimulates the C/EBPb/AEP pathway selectively," Prof. Ye explained. The key pathogenic component identified by Prof. Ye's team was follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
FSH levels in the blood rise dramatically after menopause, attaching to the corresponding FSH receptor on neurons and activating the C/EBPb/AEP pathway. "This resulted in Ab and Tau pathologies, which led to the development of AD," said Dr. Zaidi Mone, a tenured professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and co-corresponding author of the study.
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