每日外刊 | 0424-阿尔茨海默症的研究进程

考研英语时事阅读 · 公众号 · 考研 · 2022-04-24 09:01

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A Journey Through Alzheimer's Disease

阿尔茨海默症的研究进程

In 1994, a young German neurologist and psychiatrist named Harald Hampel reached a professional crunch point. Should he follow the crowd into researching better-funded, scientifically fashionable neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, or follow his calling and strike out on the relatively neglected path of Alzheimer’s disease? “People told me, ‘Don’t do this, you won’t make a career’,” he recalls. He did it anyway.

1994年，一位名叫哈拉尔德·汉佩尔（Harald Hampel）的年轻德国神经科医生与精神病学家迎来了他职业生涯的关键时期。他是应该随大流研究类似多发性硬化症这类被重点资助、在学术界更受追捧的神经疾病项目，还是应该遵循自己内心的想法，选择研究相对没那么受重视的阿尔茨海默症？他回忆道:“大家都说不要选这条路，你不会成就一番事业的。”不过，他还是坚持了自己的选择。

Today, Hampel’s choice has been vindicated. Once thought to be mysterious and intractable, researchers are learning more about Alzheimer’s disease and believe it is potentially treatable, perhaps even preventable, in the future. Treatments tailored to target specific aspects of the disease process are in the pipeline, as are blood tests that can detect signs of the disease that can aid early diagnosis and drug development.

现如今，汉佩尔证明了他当初的选择是正确的。阿尔茨海默症曾经被认为是一种神秘而棘手的疾病，但研究人员正在进一步了解它，并相信这种疾病在未来是可以治疗的，甚至是可以预防的。针对该疾病过程中各个方面的治疗正在研发中，可预知疾病且有助于早期诊断和药物开发的血液检测也在开发中。