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Photo: Mark McDonald
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating degenerative disorder that slowly destroys memory and eventually the ability to carry out the most basic tasks.
Despite huge effort to research Alzheimer's the critical question of what triggers the disease remains unanswered.
One hypothesis that has gained particular traction over the past decade is that mitochondria, the parts of cells that are responsible for generating energy, may play a significant role.
Dr. Russell Swerdlow is a professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and directs their Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre. Swerdlow first suggested that problems with mitochondria might be the cause of brain degeneration back in 2004.
Computer illustration of mitochondria, membrane-enclosed cellular organelles that produce energy. Photo: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRA