This video segment from the Secret of Life School Video: "Genetic Medicine: Tinkering with Our Genes" explores the potential for gene therapy to cure diseases like Alzheimer's.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Glioma is the most common and lethal form of brain cancer. Among patients with the highest grade of glioma, fewer than 6% survive up to 5 years after diagnosis. Interestingly, glioma is extremely rare in one large population of patients patients with Alzheimer’s disease. That suggests that an anti-glioma molecule could play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer’s. In a recent study, researchers assessed one possible candidate: presenilin-1. Presenilin-1 is a protein that assists the formation of amyloid beta, the main component of the hallmark plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s. Experiments showed that high presenilin-1 levels in glioma tissue from patients correlated with low tumor proliferation. Closer examination revealed that presenilin-1 kept cancer from spreading by preventing tumor cells from replicating their DNA. This mechanism could explain the poor prognosis of glioma patients with low levels of presenilin-1..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys memory and thinking skills Every year, the number of people affected by the disease continues to grow That has some researchers looking to the fruit fly for answers One team has found that linking two parts of the cell closer together may help Linking the endoplasmic reticulum, which forms proteins and stores calcium to the mitochondria, which power the cell can actually improve motor function in fruit flies and help them live longer This technique works in flies with brain plaques similar to those found in humans with Alzheimer’s disease Part of the reason could be improved access to calcium Forcing the organelles together helps calcium migrate more easily from the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria This sends the mitochondria into overdrive because calcium acts as a lubricant for the mitochondrial machinery that pumps out energy So easy access to calcium means more energy output Clarifying how that transl.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease may impair the body’s cellular recycling system, allowing the build-up of harmful byproducts in the brain. People carrying the gene variant known as APOE4 are at an increased risk for the early development of Alzheimer’s and show high numbers of the brain plaques characteristic of the disease. But the underlying reason for this effect isn’t clear. Now, researchers have shown that APOE4 interferes with autophagy -- the body’s way of recycling unneeded or harmful cellular material – providing new insights into how and why APOE4 conveys such a strong risk for Alzheimer’s. The team looked at the relationship between APOE4 and a protein known as TFEB, considered a master regulator of autophagy-related genes. Prior studies have linked reduced TFEB expression to the presence of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.