ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gregory Petsko - Bioengineer
Gregory Petsko is a biochemist who studies the proteins of the body and their biochemical function. Working with Dagmar Ringe, he's doing pioneering work in the way we look at proteins and what they do.

Why you should listen

Gregory Petsko's own biography, on his Brandeis faculty homepage, might seem intimidatingly abstruse to the non-biochemist -- he studies "the structural basis for efficient enzymic catalysis of proton and hydride transfer; the role of the metal ions in bridged bimetalloenzyme active sites; direct visualization of proteins in action by time-resolved protein crystallography; the evolution of new enzyme activities from old ones; and the biology of the quiescent state in eukaryotic cells."

But for someone so deeply in touch with the minutest parts of our bodies, Petsko is also a wide-ranging mind, concerned about larger health policy issues. The effect of mass population shifts -- such as our current trend toward a senior-citizen society -- maps onto his world of tiny proteins to create a compeling new worldview.

More profile about the speaker
Gregory Petsko | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Gregory Petsko: The coming neurological epidemic

Gregory Petsko 談即將爆發的神經性疾病流行

Filmed:
994,855 views

生化學家 Gregory Petsko 發表極具說服力的演說,說明在未來 50 年內,當世界人口老化的同時,我們將會面對神經性疾病(例如阿茲海默症)的流行。他的解決方案是:對人腦與腦功能做更深入的研究。
- Bioengineer
Gregory Petsko is a biochemist who studies the proteins of the body and their biochemical function. Working with Dagmar Ringe, he's doing pioneering work in the way we look at proteins and what they do. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Unless除非 we do something to prevent避免 it,
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除非我們有預防的辦法,
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over the next下一個 40 years年份 we’re回覆 facing面對 an epidemic疫情
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否則在未來的 40 年後我們將會面對
00:17
of neurologic神經 diseases疾病 on a global全球 scale規模.
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神經性疾病全球化的漫延。
00:20
A cheery愉快的 thought.
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你們還真樂觀啊!
00:24
On this map地圖, every一切 country國家 that’s colored有色 blue藍色
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在這個地圖上,每一個藍色的國家
00:27
has more than 20 percent百分 of its population人口 over the age年齡 of 65.
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其 65 歲以上的國民超過全國人口數的 20% 。
00:31
This is the world世界 we live生活 in.
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這就是我們居住的世界。
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And this is the world世界 your children孩子 will live生活 in.
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而這是你的下一代將會面臨的世界。
00:37
For 12,000 years年份, the distribution分配 of ages年齡 in the human人的 population人口
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過去的一萬兩千年來,人類族群年齡的分佈
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has looked看著 like a pyramid金字塔, with the oldest最老的 on top最佳.
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看起來像個金字塔,最老的人在最上層。
00:44
It’s already已經 flattening扁平化 out.
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這個趨勢已經漸趨平緩了。
00:46
By 2050, it’s going to be a column and will start開始 to invert倒置.
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到了 2050 年它將會變成長柱狀, 然後開始反轉變成倒金字塔。
00:50
This is why it’s happening事件.
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原因是
00:53
The average平均 lifespan壽命’s more than doubled翻倍 since以來 1840,
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從 1840 年到現在,平均壽命變成了原來的兩倍,
00:56
and it’s increasing增加 currently目前 at the rate of about five hours小時 every一切 day.
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而且它還在以大約每天五小時的速度持續增加中。
01:01
And this is why that’s not entirely完全 a good thing:
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為什麼平均壽命增加不全然是好事呢?
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because over the age年齡 of 65, your risk風險 of getting得到 Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s
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因為一旦超過 65 歲,你罹患阿茲海默症
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or Parkinson帕金森’s disease疾病 will increase增加 exponentially成倍.
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或帕金森氏症的機率將以指數增加。
01:12
By 2050, there’ll be about 32 million百萬 people in the United聯合的 States狀態
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到了 2050 年,美國約會有 3200 萬超過 80 歲的人,
01:16
over the age年齡 of 80, and unless除非 we do something about it,
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除非我們有因應措施,
01:19
half of them will have Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病
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他們其中一半會罹患阿茲海默症
01:21
and three million百萬 more will have Parkinson帕金森’s disease疾病.
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而罹患帕金森氏症的人會比 阿茲海默症患者人數多出三百萬。
01:24
Right now, those and other neurologic神經 diseases疾病 --
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現今,對於這些和其他神經性疾病 --
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for which哪一個 we have no cure治愈 or prevention預防 --
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我們既不能治癒也無法預防 --
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cost成本 about a third第三 of a trillion dollars美元 a year.
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一年約消耗三千億美元的社會成本。
01:32
It will be well over a trillion dollars美元 by 2050.
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到了 2050 年這個數字將會超過一兆美元。
01:36
Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病 starts啟動 when a protein蛋白
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阿茲海默症是因為
01:38
that should be folded折疊 up properly正確
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腦部內的蛋白質沒有正確摺疊
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misfolds錯誤折疊 into a kind of demented發狂 origami摺紙.
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形成錯誤的結構而導致癡呆。
01:44
So one approach途徑 we’re回覆 taking服用 is to try to design設計 drugs毒品
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因此我們嘗試設計一種藥物
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that function功能 like molecular分子 Scotch蘇格蘭人 tape膠帶,
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它的功用如同分子膠帶一般,
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to hold保持 the protein蛋白 into its proper正確 shape形狀.
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能夠使蛋白質維持正確的結構。
01:53
That would keep it from forming成型 the tangles纏結
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這將會避免這種蛋白質彼此間糾結在一起
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that seem似乎 to kill large sections部分 of the brain when they do.
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因為蛋白質糾結似乎會造成一大片腦細胞壞死。
01:59
Interestingly有趣的是 enough足夠, other neurologic神經 diseases疾病
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有趣的是,其他神經性疾病
02:01
which哪一個 affect影響 very different不同 parts部分 of the brain
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儘管它們影響的腦部區域非常的不同
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also show顯示 tangles纏結 of misfolded錯誤折疊 protein蛋白,
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但是同樣造成錯誤摺疊的蛋白質互相糾結,
02:07
which哪一個 suggests提示 that the approach途徑 might威力 be a general一般 one,
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因此這個藥物設計方法或許是一種通則,
02:10
and might威力 be used to cure治愈 many許多 neurologic神經 diseases疾病,
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可以用來治療多種神經性疾病,
02:12
not just Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病.
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而不是只針對阿茲海默症。
02:14
There’s also a fascinating迷人 connection連接 to cancer癌症 here,
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神經性疾病與癌症間還有個有趣的關聯性
02:17
because people with neurologic神經 diseases疾病
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因為患有神經性疾病的人
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have a very low incidence發生率 of most cancers癌症.
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罹患癌症的機率非常的低。
02:22
And this is a connection連接 that most people arenAREN’t pursuing追求 right now,
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雖然現在對它們之間關聯性的研究不多,
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but which哪一個 we’re回覆 fascinated入迷 by.
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但我們對它非常感興趣。
02:28
Most of the important重要 and all of the creative創作的 work in this area
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這個領域許多重要又有獨創性的研究
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is being存在 funded資助 by private私人的 philanthropies慈善事業.
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都是私人慈善事業所資助的。
02:34
And there’s tremendous巨大 scope範圍 for additional額外 private私人的 help here,
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但是我們還需要更多私人機構的贊助幫忙,
02:37
because the government政府 has dropped下降 the ball on much of this, I’m afraid害怕.
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因為遺憾的是,來自政府單位的支持非常有限。
02:40
In the meantime與此同時, while we’re回覆 waiting等候 for all these things to happen發生,
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但在我們等待經費資助的同時,
02:44
here’s what you can do for yourself你自己.
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這裡是一些你自己可以做到的事情。
02:46
If you want to lower降低 your risk風險 of Parkinson帕金森’s disease疾病,
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如果你想要降低你罹患帕金森氏症的機率,
02:48
caffeine咖啡因 is protective保護的 to some extent程度; nobody沒有人 knows知道 why.
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咖啡因有某種程度的保護作用; 原因還未知
02:53
Head injuries受傷 are bad for you. They lead to Parkinson帕金森’s disease疾病.
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避免頭部創傷。它們會導致帕金森氏症。
02:56
And the Avian禽流感 Flu流感 is also not a good idea理念.
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避免感染禽流感,我想原因不需要我說明。
03:01
As far as protecting保護 yourself你自己 against反對 Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病,
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至於如何避免你罹患阿茲海默症?
03:04
well, it turns out that fish oil has the effect影響
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這個嘛…魚油有預防的功效。
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of reducing減少 your risk風險 for Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病.
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可以降低阿茲海默症發生。
03:10
You should also keep your blood血液 pressure壓力 down,
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你同時應該保持正常的血壓,
03:12
because chronic慢性 high blood血液 pressure壓力
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因為慢性高血壓
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is the biggest最大 single risk風險 factor因子 for Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病.
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是罹患阿茲海默症最主要的一個因素。
03:16
It’s also the biggest最大 risk風險 factor因子 for glaucoma青光眼,
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同時也是罹患青光眼的主因,
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which哪一個 is just Alzheimer老年癡呆症’s disease疾病 of the eye.
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青光眼其實就是眼睛的阿茲海默症。
03:22
And of course課程, when it comes to cognitive認知 effects效果,
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當然,談到對認知能力的影響時,
03:24
"use it or lose失去 it" applies適用,
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「用進廢退」的觀念變得很重要,
03:26
so you want to stay mentally精神上 stimulated刺激.
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因此你希望保持思想活躍。
03:28
But hey, you’re回覆 listening to me.
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但是嘿…你不是正在聽我演講嗎?
03:30
So you’ve已經 got that covered覆蓋.
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那麼這部分你就不用擔心了。
03:32
And one final最後 thing. Wish希望 people like me luck運氣, okay?
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最後,祝我們這群科學家研究順利吧?
03:36
Because the clock時鐘 is ticking滴答 for all of us.
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因為歲月可是不饒人的。
03:38
Thank you.
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謝謝大家。
Translated by Bill Hsiung
Reviewed by Yu-Ju Chiang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gregory Petsko - Bioengineer
Gregory Petsko is a biochemist who studies the proteins of the body and their biochemical function. Working with Dagmar Ringe, he's doing pioneering work in the way we look at proteins and what they do.

Why you should listen

Gregory Petsko's own biography, on his Brandeis faculty homepage, might seem intimidatingly abstruse to the non-biochemist -- he studies "the structural basis for efficient enzymic catalysis of proton and hydride transfer; the role of the metal ions in bridged bimetalloenzyme active sites; direct visualization of proteins in action by time-resolved protein crystallography; the evolution of new enzyme activities from old ones; and the biology of the quiescent state in eukaryotic cells."

But for someone so deeply in touch with the minutest parts of our bodies, Petsko is also a wide-ranging mind, concerned about larger health policy issues. The effect of mass population shifts -- such as our current trend toward a senior-citizen society -- maps onto his world of tiny proteins to create a compeling new worldview.

More profile about the speaker
Gregory Petsko | Speaker | TED.com