Welcome to the age of researchers will slip out: “We are all older.” Konrad Beyreuther has me, his former doctoral student, last seen over twenty years ago. At the time, the multi-award-winning Alzheimer’s expert, has worked at the center for Molecular biology of Heidelberg University.
that afternoon he receives a place for me in its current effect, in a building from the 19th century. Century, two kilometers of the river Neckar up on the other side of the river. On the way to his small office, he is told, what noble heads went on and off. Today, it is the employees of the network for ageing research, an interdisciplinary network of social and natural scientists studying aging. Beyreuther founding Director of the since 2006 the existing network.
Konrad – we are by first name and by you will be grandchildren in may is 78 years old and looks the same: tall, slim, well – dressed, from the red-rimmed glasses up to the matching laces. Only the formerly black hair is now threads criss-crossed with silver. Emeritus Professor takes a seat in his office under a wood-framed likeness of Alois Alzheimer’s disease . The German doctors found in 1906 for the first time in the brain a confused patient with a biological cause of a mental illness: a massive nerve deposits die and eye-catching.
established A whole new industry
In these deposits, at least in one Form, the so-called amyloid Plaques – research Beyreuther for decades. As a young Professor at the University of Cologne, he discovered in the 1980s, together with his colleague and friend Colin Masters from the University of Melbourne, from which the deposits are: a Protein fragment that clumps together in the brain. The so-called Beta-Amyloid. “We have founded a whole industry”, have him zugeraunt Colin Masters at a recent conference in Lisbon, says Beyreuther. The two scientists are considered to be the founder of the “Amyloid theory”. Accordingly, the Beta-Amyloid is the main cause for the Nerves in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.
Today, other experts are not so sure. Numerous active ingredients, the Beta should fight against Amyloid have failed in trials in patients, most recently in March in Zurich, has developed antibodies Aducanumab of the company Neurimmune.
The chemist explains, in Detail, the molecular characteristics and why he still thinks that Beta-Amyloid is crucial for the pathogenesis of the disease in the brain. Beyreuther on in brisk speed of research results, indicates the inherited Alzheimer’s disease cases, where the changes relate to the Gene that contains the Blueprint of the precursor protein of Beta-Amyloid. And he emphasized the striking Similarities with other diseases, where also small proteins with a particular structure – is deposited exactly like the Beta-Amyloid in the brain, such as in Parkinson’s or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In addition, the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease is extremely complex. In addition to the deposits in the brain, there are many of the patients damage to the blood vessels of the brain. In the case of the mixed dementia, most of the antibodies against Beta be forms of-Amyloid ineffective. He admits: “What saddens me: We don’t know the toxicity.” In other words, the exact process of how the nerve cells die, ultimately, is still unclear. Nevertheless, Beyreuther looks to the future with optimism: “We still need a few years time.”
deposits in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s: Amyloid Plaques. Photo: Alamy
a sought-after speaker reported full of euphoria over the latest findings of his colleagues. He pulls out printouts of a few of the many lectures, which he still maintains – “about 50 per year”. Then he exclaims: “I love this study.” One of the publications dedicated to the prevention. Beyreuther is convinced that every Individual can avert Alzheimer’s illness, or at least ten to twenty years of hesitation, even people who have a genetic predisposition. A prerequisite of a healthy life style.
Beyreuther suspects that he has an increased genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Test, he would not. In the case of his mother the advancing began at the end Forget with 82 years. There, he researched a long time ago on the incurable disease. “I became interested in the brain, as my youngest brother to a brain tumour sufferers,” says Beyreuther. His other brother had previously perished in an avalanche.
Seven risk factors for Alzheimer’s
The Alzheimer’s prevention the scientists are looking at still a day 30 current articles followed the latest findings. “There are seven risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,” he says: “Depression, Smoking, Obesity, hypertension, lack of exercise, Diabetes, lack of mental activity.” The smoke he gave up 40 years ago. Immensely important the movement was. A healthy heart is also used to supply the brain, its energy reserves will last only for a few minutes.
The Grand-father of four girls, “the Oldest short in front of the high school, the Youngest two years old”, is proud of his Fitness. Beyreuther completed each Morning, a half-hour program and before the power spontaneously to a few Exercises in the office: lunges and Reverse push-UPS. “The recommended sports students,” says the Professor, who always comes with the bike to work and still enthusiastic about skiing. “We have been for 42 years a vacation in the upper Engadine. Overall, I spent about seven years of my life”, Beyreuther, of all things.
Always be open for New
he argues with Pay: Each hour of an Alzheimer’s patient is deposited by 2.9 nanograms of harmful Beta-Amyloid in the brain. In order for this to not happen, cleaned up in Healthy while you sleep in the brain. The dangerous Protein fragments are washed away. The be done but only in the deep sleep phase.
Beyreuther awake even more often early in the morning: “and Then my brain starts to talk to me,” he says. In doing so, he referred to his current phase of life as “the most beautiful time of my life”. He enjoys “the experience, the knowledge of human nature, the freedom of Research”. It has become dark. His wife comes. The two are going to go to a classical concert.
The last question to the former chief of Laboratory: approaches to Alzheimer’s researchers also will be open for the whole of new therapy? “One must always be open to New things”, it comes strongly, and quieter: “That all research is predominantly of Beta-Amyloid, we don’t have wanted that.”
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 12.04.2019, 18:46 PM
