re: "Perhaps 2-73 prevents the gene mutation, which in turn prevents protein degradation (that leads to misfolding causing beta-amyloid plaque and tau tangles?). Just maybe... "
It would be nice if that was true but I don't think that's possible. Firstly, it seems more likely that a bad gene would be inherited, not spontaneously mutate in the same way in every affected cell. Editting or repairing a gene requires some pretty heavy molecular machinery beyond what a small molecule would be capable of. Remember that it has to be small enough to squeeze through the closely spaced glial cells that protect the brain's neurons like a sort of living *HEPA filter (i.e. the brain-blood barrior).
Since I may be at hereditary risk, obviously a bit of concern here. Well, we know it helps the transgenic mice who obviously get it from heredity so hopefully one is not totally doomed by a wonky gene if that's the case.
The more I try to learn about what goes on inside the cell the more I am in awe. The complexity is beyond that of a modern automated vehicle assembly plant. But one could still make an analogy. Nowadays there are many manufacturing methodologies but in the old traditional assembly line, what would happen is this. Let's say they run out of rear view mirrors. The line keeps going but the vehicles are now defective at that point because they are missing mirrors. All is not lost, further down the line, mirrors are brought in and installed so the defect is repaired before it leaves the final line.
Been meaning to try to learn more about ionic transport but one thing I gather from reading about the current theory of operation, salient here, would be that 2-73 serves to correct problems with the molecular machinery inside the endoplasmic reticulum which is a kind of assembly line conducting transcription of genetic information into proteins. Whether the defect is from genetic or possibly environmental cause it looks like it is still possible to repair the process or ultimately the product before it leaves the assembly line.
If there is a human "AD" gene the best pkace to try to fix it would seem to be in the DNA somewhere around the time of egg cell fertilization, before cell differentiation into brain cells occurs. But I believe tinkering with human DNA even for benign purposes remains highly controversal. Anyone who watches sci-fi can be aware of the dangers if it isn't done with adequate knowledge, wisely, and responsibly. e.g. I'm not sure how I'd feel about glow-in-the-dark humans. :)
It looks like there are several interesting articles accessable from that page.
*High-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA)
Who would have thought "arrestance" was a word? :)
