That research explains this dreaded disease in a whole new light, and opens the door for development of innovative therapies. CWRU researchers believe that nerve cell death in Alzheimer's disease is caused by a failed attempt at cell division. They have found a significant number of brain cells in Alzheimer's patients with extra copies of chromosomes, showing attempts at cell division in cells that are not supposed to divide. This effort to divide is the likely cause of the nerve degeneration and dementia in Alzheimer's disease.
Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell division.
In this study, scientists found that unorthodox cell division is the likely cause of the nerve cell destruction. According to Herrup, memory loss in Alzheimer's is always associated with the accumulation of senile plaques and neuro-fibral tangles. However, these accumulations are considered to be associated with, but not the cause of, Alzheimer's. Memory loss is more closely tied to nerve cell death. This new research provides the missing link explaining how the accumulation leads to nerve cell death.