Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurological disorder characterized by brain atrophy, resulting in the progressive loss of brain cells. It is the most common cause of dementia, leading to a decline in cognitive abilities, social skills, and behavioral functions, ultimately impairing a patient's ability to live independently.

In the United States, approximately 5.8 million individuals aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s Disease. The incidence rate increases to 80% in those over 75. In advanced stages, complications such as infections, malnutrition, and dehydration can significantly impair brain functions and may lead to death.

Early symptoms include difficulty recalling recent conversations or events, progressing to severe memory impairments and inability to perform daily tasks.

Alzheimer's Disease is influenced by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Two key proteins play a critical role in its pathology:

Tau Protein: Normally supports the internal transport system of neurons. In AD, tau proteins change structure and form neurofibrillary tangles, disrupting the cellular transport system and becoming toxic.

Beta-Amyloid Proteins: Larger protein fragments that form toxic clusters, disrupting cell-to-cell communication and forming amyloid deposits, which include cellular debris.

Genetics and Family History: First-degree relatives have a higher risk, particularly those with the APOE e4 allele.

Age and Gender: Risk increases with age, and women are at greater risk due to longer life expectancy.

Down Syndrome: Individuals with Down syndrome have an increased accumulation of beta-amyloid protein, leading to an earlier onset of AD.

Traumatic Head Injuries: A history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risk, with the highest risk occurring within the first six months to two years post-injury.

Memory Loss: Progressive and more severe than normal age-related decline.

Repeatedly asking the same questions.

Forgetting important events, appointments, and conversations.

Misplacing items and getting lost in familiar places.

Difficulty remembering family members’ names.

• Apathy and depression

• Social withdrawal and isolation

• Mood swings and distrust

• Aggressiveness and irritability

• Altered sleep patterns and wandering

• Impaired judgment and problem-solving skills

• Difficulty multitasking and concentrating

• Treatment Journey for Alzheimer’s Disease.

AD treatments include two main types of drugs:

Namenda (Memantine): Helps slow disease progression and improve brain cell communication.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Improve brain cell communication by preventing the depletion of chemical messengers. Examples include Exelon (rivastigmine), Razadyne (galantamine), and Aricept (donepezil).

Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) offers hope for more effective treatments. Stem cells, which can differentiate into various cell types, are derived from embryos, neural tissue, or induced pluripotent cells.

Stem Cell Sources: 

1. Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs): Derived from blastocysts, capable of becoming any cell type. ESC therapy can help AD patients by facilitating memory and learning. 

2. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): Found in bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord, and stem cell pupae. MSCs are often derived from umbilical cord blood and help develop other tissues.

   - Benefits include reducing beta-amyloid plaques, hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins, reversing microglial inflammation, and promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines.

3. Neural Stem Cells: Located in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus and subventricular areas, capable of generating other brain cells.

Exosomes, when used with stem cell therapy, show promise for treating neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. They enhance:

Angiogenesis: Improved blood flow

Neurogenesis: Growth of new brain cells

Neurite Remodeling and Synaptic Plasticity: Repairing and enhancing neural connections

Post-Stroke Benefits of Exosomal Therapy:

Oligodendrogenesis: Formation of new oligodendrocytes

Remyelination: Restoration of the myelin sheath

Axonal Sprouting: Growth of new axons

Exosomes also boost the expression of neuroprotective microRNAs (miR-133b, miR-210, miR-184, miR-17-92), aiding in disease prognosis.

 These innovative treatments offer a comprehensive approach to managing Alzheimer's Disease, providing hope for improved patient outcomes and quality of life.

At Renue we believe that if you are truly interested in Healthspan (Living better, not just longer.”) then it’s important that we are aware of our Biological Age vs Chronological Age.  Remember you can”t measure success without a starting point.  With TruDiagnostic’s TruAge testy you will receive 9 personalized Epigenetic Health Scores and actionable insights to slow aging

Biological Age

How old your body is compared to your real age

Pace of Aging

How quickly you're aging each year

Organ System Ages

The age of key organs (heart, brain, liver, etc.)

Fitness Age

Your physical health based on strength, lung capacity, and movement

Smoking Impact

How smoking has affected your epigenetic age

Alcohol Impact

How alcohol consumption has influenced your health

The Stem Cell Therapy risks are low and infrequent because of the therapy’s high safety domain.

The most expected or common risk factors of SCT can be:

• Painful injection area /site

• Lethargy and fatigue

• Allergic reactions

• Fever

Allergic reactions are preventable through pre-injection history and care. Fatigue, fever, and pain are managed through the appropriate drugs along with the treatment.

Stem Cell Therapy is a new and promising method of treating Alzheimer's Disease. It has the potential to be more effective than previous methods and also carries less risk. At present, Stem Cell Technology is still in the developmental stage, but rapid developments and advances indicate its potential uses in direct treatments of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The benefits and effects of Stem Cell Therapy depend on several factors: the patient's health condition, underlying issues, lifestyle, and others. To assess your expected results, we would like to know more about you. A medical advisor will talk to you about your diagnosis and treatment options and collect information for the attending physician; they can answer all your initial questions:

• Will the therapy work for my case? 

• What does the treatment involve? Is it painful?

• Is it expensive? How much does it cost?