Interleukin-33 and its Relation to Alzheimer's Disease by Heather Record

            A scientific team from China and the United Kingdom tested the molecule interleukin-33 (IL-33) and its effect on Alzheimer’s disease. IL-33 is an immune-activating molecule that they hypothesized would decrease the detriments of the disease.           
           Alzheimer’s is a very complicated disease and there is still a lot about it that is unknown. Those affected by it suffer from severe memory loss, decreased motor function, loss of judgement, and lessened reasoning. It is very hard for the people who have it and those who care for them. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown but there is evidence that suggests that an innate immune response may play a crucial rule. The accumulation of beta-amyloid relates to the neural loss and brain dysfunction seen in Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that the impaired IL-33 signaling could be response for the formation of Alzheimer’s disease. It was this new evidence that led the Chinese and UK team to form the hypothesis of IL-33 immune therapy possibly helping with Alzheimer’s disease.           
           The team used mice to test their hypothesis. They injected the IL-33 in a designated group of the mice and the other group was used as a control or placebo group. The group did not receive the IL-33 immune therapy injection continued to suffer from the traumatic effects of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the group that did receive the IL-33 immune therapy injection showed improvement in memory skills, logic and reasoning, and a decrease in the accumulation of beta-amyloid was noted. This was a great leap in the advancement of Alzheimer’s research. As of now the use of IL-33 immune therapy is still only a theory and more research is needed. Unfortunately, there is still not any official cure for Alzheimer’s disease.            
            I chose to my assignment on this topic for very specific reasons. I work in an assisted living home and I have worked with several elderly individuals with this disease. It is heartbreaking to see the confusion and sadness that this disease causes for those individuals and the families. Last year it became even more personal when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I have already seen the effect it has had on my grandmother and my family. It is very hard to see this disease affect someone in your family and knowing there is really nothing you can do but be there and support them. I believe there is a cure for this awful disease and I cannot wait for the day that it is found and all of the people affecting are relieved from the misery they are suffering. That will be a great day.

Article Used: http://www.pnas.org/content/113/19/E2705.full