“Proteins May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease” The Boston Globe published an article titled Proteins May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease, by Carolyn Y. Johnson (2014). In this article Johnson describes the evidence that Harvard researchers have found about the causes of Alzheimer's disease. Harvard researchers know one cause of Alzheimer's, the failure of a natural system that protects brain cells (Johnson 2014). This article explains the research conducted by Harvard researchers and also includes what Laura A. King (2013) says in Experience Psychology about Alzheimer's and the parts of the brain. “One of our concerns is the fact that there are 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, but we have no treatments to slow, stop or prevent the disease,” said Dean Hartley, director of Alzheimer's Science Initiatives Association. “We think that basic research like this will be important not only in understanding this disease, but also that the main risk factor for Alzheimer's is aging – and that's what's intriguing” (Johnson). 2014). Through some laboratory tests, scientists have discovered that REST, a type of protein, has an effect on Alzheimer's disease. Scientists examined the brains of several Alzheimer's patients after their deaths and found levels lower than REST in their brains. According to these scientists, these proteins are beneficial to brain cells "In laboratory tests, REST protected brain cells from death when exposed to a variety of stresses, including proteins that. form plaque in the brains of Alzheimer's patients" (Johnson 2014). Bruce Yankner, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, became interested in seeing what happens to brain cells as we age. “Because studies involving genetic manipulation are… middle of the paper… things like Alzheimer's. When a close family member gets sick or is diagnosed with an illness, we automatically start making assumptions and worry. If we are informed about a disease, then we know that it is not something as harmful as we think. My grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's disease. I had some information about Alzheimer's, but this article really helped me understand what the brain actually goes through when diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Like I said, when we first saw the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's in her, we were very scared. We didn't know much about Alzheimer's, we just knew that it was memory loss. If we were aware of its cause and what it really is, it wouldn't scare us so much. This article also gives me hope, because I know there are scientists who are concerned about this disease and may find a cure by doing more research.