Rhea Chatterjee
George C. Marshall USAClass of 2023Vienna, VA
About
Hello! My name is Rhea Chatterjee and I am currently studying bioinformatics at Virginia Commonwealth University. I have published a literature review evaluating the different molecular mechanisms that drive Alzheimer's disease.wProjects
- "What are the molecular mechanisms driving Alzheimer's disease?" with mentor Chelsea (July 31, 2023)
Rhea's Symposium Presentation
Project Portfolio
What are the molecular mechanisms driving Alzheimer's disease?
Started July 15, 2022
Abstract or project description
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in long term memory loss. However, the direct cause of this brain cell damage has been a topic of debate within the science community for years. The main two hypotheses with the strongest supporting evidence are the tau protein hypothesis and the amyloid plaques. The tau protein hypothesis claims that there are mutations that create neurofibrillary tangles. The amyloid plaque hypothesis claims there are deposits of naturally occurring proteins that build up and then block the ability to form neural pathways. This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of each hypothesis and evaluates which research pathways should be pursued. Ultimately both hypotheses make significant contributions to our understanding of the pathogenesis of AD and more research is needed in order to find effective treatments. However, based on previous clinical trials testing Amyloid plaque build up, the tau protein hypothesis is much more plausible.