Cancer Might Protect Against Alzheimer's (nature.com)
- Reference: 0180679782
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/01/28/1920237/cancer-might-protect-against-alzheimers
- Source link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00222-7
> Now, a study in mice provides a possible molecular solution to the medical mystery: a protein produced by cancer cells seems to infiltrate the brain, where it helps to [1]break apart clumps of misfolded proteins that are often associated with Alzheimer's disease . The study, which was 15 years in the making, was published on 22 January in Cell and could help researchers to design drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease.
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> "They have a piece of the puzzle," says Donald Weaver, a neurologist and chemist at the Krembil Research Institute at the University of Toronto in Canada, who was not involved in the study. "It's not the full picture by any stretch of the imagination. But it's an interesting piece." [...] A 2020 meta-analysis of data from more than 9.6 million people found that cancer diagnosis was associated with an 11% decreased incidence of Alzheimer's disease. It has been a difficult relationship to unpick: researchers must control for a variety of external factors. For example, people might die of cancer before they are old enough to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, and some cancer treatments can cause cognitive difficulties, which could obscure an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00222-7
Bring on the ultraprocessed foods! (Score:4, Funny)
Now I finally know what to do to avoid Alzheimer's!
An old joke (Score:3)
An old man is getting his yearly checkup when the doctor comes in. "I've got some bad news and some really bad news," the doctor says. "Which do you want first?"
Thinking there's no point in avoiding it the man asks for the really bad news. "You've got cancer," the doctor says, "and it's at an advanced stage and you likely only have a few months to live. It's unlikely that there's anything we can do for you."
The old man sits and thinks quietly for a moment and asks, "What about the bad news?"
"Well," replies the doctor, "you've got Alzheimer's and you're going to gradually lose your memory and cognitive function over the next five to ten years before it becomes terminal. There's no cure for it, but there are treatment options that can make it more manageable."
"Well it could be worse," the old man replies, "I suppose could have cancer or something like that."
Re: (Score:2)
Science invalidates a joke!
Though... "Cancer protects you from Alzheimer's" is a pretty good one-liner by itself. At least, my response was to say "Well... shit", and chuckle.
Though if we can synthesize the anti-Alzheimer's protein that cancer produces, and if it's really effective, and if it doesn't have other nasty effects, this could result in a good anti-Alzheimer's drug.
Sooo (Score:2)
Is there a cancer we can inflict and cure with relative ease to cure Alzheimer's ?
Re: (Score:2)
I'd rather just take the protein in pill form, or an MRNA-based injection that causes my own cells to produce the protein.
Re: (Score:3)
An MRNA-based vax will never make it anywhere. That term is so tained from COVID no one will touch the trials.
Re:Sooo (Score:4, Informative)
Utter lies.
Many, many MRNA trials are currently ongoing.
Not everyone is as stupid as you.
Re:Sooo (Score:4, Insightful)
> An MRNA-based vax will never make it anywhere. That term is so tained from COVID no one will touch the trials.
In the United States. With the federal government rapidly disassembling science-based medicine, that's hardly the largest and most immediate concern.
Other countries do medical research, too, and their citizens will have lower Alzheimer's rates should this research pan out.
Re: (Score:2)
>> An MRNA-based vax will never make it anywhere. That term is so tained from COVID no one will touch the trials.
> In the United States. With the federal government rapidly disassembling science-based medicine, that's hardly the largest and most immediate concern.
> Other countries do medical research, too, and their citizens will have lower Alzheimer's rates should this research pan out.
Yes, the current Trump administration has canceled many science-based programs, people, and ideas. The really big question is how permanent the Trump influence will be after 2028. My take is that most Republicans currently in office are carpetbaggers rather than ideological extremists. They see the opportunity to advance their own careers by riding on Trump's coattails. Those coattails likely disappear after 2028, unless another Trump 2.0 person arises and tries to repeat the Trump strategies.
Re: (Score:2)
> An MRNA-based vax will never make it anywhere. That term is so tained from COVID no one will touch the trials.
The rest of the world will continue to embrace modern medical science. You are free to stick to your Eye of Newt or whatever.
Re: (Score:2)
> Is there a cancer we can inflict and cure with relative ease to cure Alzheimer's ?
I’m envisioning Grandpa licking a leaded lollipop with a chewy asbestos center and then suddenly remembering that lead and asbestos are really fucking bad for you.
Is this consistent? (Score:2)
"cancer and Alzheimer's disease are rarely found in the same person"
"cancer diagnosis was associated with an 11% decreased incidence of Alzheimer's disease"
If cancer and Alzheimer's are rarely coincident, then why is there merely an 11% decrease in Alzheimer's given that cancer exists? I would expect the decrease to be close to 100% unless "rarely" is actually a fuzzy term that is far from 0%.
How interesting (Score:2)
There is a reverse situation as well that I'm now curious how it works with this. Individuals who have down syndrome are almost immune to solid tumor cancers, have measurably higher rates of inflammation response, and are very susceptible to Alzheimer's.
Cancer kills you first? (Score:1)
So you don't get time to develop Alzheimer's, so you don't get time to develop Alzheimer's.
Re:Cancer kills you first? (Score:4, Interesting)
The key here is the discovery of the protein they propose is involved. That could lead to a treatment. And if you read the summary, what you are talking about is one of the confounders they worked to control for. Obviously other studies are needed to confirm their findings but it's interesting.
Re: (Score:3)
"Cured" is the wrong word. The survival rate after 5 years is higher than 50% for three fourths of all cancers.