In my senior year of college, my favorite biology professor had us look up new scientific studies and research to share with the class for extra participation points. It was a fun assignment that made science and the work being done by world- renowned scientists feel tangible and easier to understand. I’m still passionate about making science accessible and fun, so I hope you enjoy these monthly breakdowns of a few of the amazing discoveries happening around the world. 

Developments in Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease:

Before the 1980’s, people who needed growth hormone injections as a treatment for a variety of conditions received human growth hormones extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers. These hormone samples were then mixed together in large batches. Some of these hormone mixtures were found to contain misfolded, infectious proteins called prions, which can build up in the brain and cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), also known as mad cow disease. Over 200 people worldwide developed iatrogenic (meaning a disease caused by medical treatment) CJD after receiving growth hormone treatments. Today, human growth hormone is made biosynthetically and does not carry the threat of CJD.

There were other problems with the hormone batches. Some contained higher than normal amounts of the protein amyloid-beta, a distinctive feature of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Researchers in London found five individuals who all received multiple growth hormone injections from childhood to adolescence who later went on to develop Alzheimer’s. Their symptoms emerged early, and genetic testing done on three of the five indicated that they were not genetically predisposed to develop early- onset Alzheimer’s. Further research found eight other individuals who received contaminated growth hormone. Of the eight: three had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, two were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by researchers, two had symptoms of cognitive decline, and one did not have symptoms. 

This research indicates a strong link between receiving high levels of the amyloid-beta protein in childhood and developing Alzheimer’s. While Alzheimer’s is not contagious the way a cold virus is, knowing that harmful prions can be transferred between people is important for safe medical and surgical practices.

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, and a variety of factors are important in determining whether an individual develops it during their lifetime. However, understanding how the amyloid-beta protein works could offer a better understanding of how Alzheimer’s takes hold in the brain and inform the work towards finding a cure. 

Massive New Discovery in the Amazon:

Sometimes it feels like all the great historical finds of the past have already been discovered. Thankfully, there are plenty of scientists today whose work proves that’s not the case. 

A LiDAR scan of a 600 square kilometer area of the Upano Valley in the foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes has revealed one of the largest pre- Columbian settlements in the region. The area contains over 6,000 homes and community spaces, agricultural areas, man- made drainage systems and tiered gardens, all connected by a complex road system covering tens of kilometers. 

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been incredibly useful in the field of archaeology. It allows researchers to scan areas covered with vegetation, like the dense canopies of the Amazon, as well as modern landscapes to determine what lies beneath the surface. LiDAR works by sending a burst of infrared light out towards a target. Using a sensitive detector, the time it takes the light to reflect is measured and used to determine distance, which can then create a digital map of the area being scanned. LiDAR is more accurate and takes less time than traditional mapping, and is better for the environment as it doesn’t disturb vegetation or animals.

The Upano Valley settlement was inhabited for roughly 2,000 years by at least five different cultural groups, and can provide a great deal of information about the tools available to Amazonian peoples, the division of labor and resources, and cultural and social practices, all of which continue to strengthen our understanding of the past.

Not only does this find add to the understanding that Amazonian peoples heavily modified the landscapes around them, it shows that more people lived in these settlements than originally thought. This and other settlement discoveries challenge racist and still very prevalent beliefs that Indigenous peoples were mostly nomadic hunter- gatherers who weren’t capable of building cities comparable to those in Europe; beliefs which have led to many ancient Indigenous sites being overlooked and destroyed.  

A few mounds in the Upano Valley have already been destroyed by farming settlements. Now the race is on to protect the rest from being destroyed in favor of extracting resources. Researchers hope that international engagement and intervention can protect the site from further damage.