Microscopic spheres of calcium phosphate have been linked to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness, by UCL-led research.
AMD affects 1 in 5 people over 75, causing their vision to slowly deteriorate, but the cause of the most common form of the disease remains a mystery.* The ability to spot the disease early and reliably halt its progression would improve the lives of millions, but this is simply not possible with current knowledge and techniques. (more…)
Freiburger Biochemiker entdecken neuen Mechanismus der Demenz-Krankheit
Sand im Getriebe der Nervenzellen: Forscherinnen und Forscher um Prof. Dr. Chris Meisinger vom Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie der Universität Freiburg haben herausgefunden, auf welche Weise die Demenzerkrankung Alzheimer die Mitochondrien, die Kraftwerke der Zelle, schädigt. Seit einigen Jahren wissen Forscher, dass bei Alzheimerpatientinnen und -patienten die zelluläre Energieversorgung im Gehirn beeinträchtigt ist. Sie vermuten, dass dies das vorzeitige Absterben von Nervenzellen bewirkt, das bei Alzheimer auftritt. Über die genaue Ursache für das Nervensterben ist bisher wenig bekannt und viele Ansätze und Therapieversuche haben sich als Sackgasse erwiesen. Klar ist, dass ein kleines Eiweißfragment namens „Amyloid-beta“ eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Meisinger, Mitglied des Exzellenzclusters BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies der Universität Freiburg, hat belegt: Diese Eiweißfragmente blockieren die Reifung der Proteinmaschinen, die im Zellkraftwerk Energie aus der Nahrung gewinnen. Dies haben die Forscher an Modellorganismen, aber auch in Gehirnproben von Alzheimerpatienten nachgewiesen. „Die Aufklärung dieses zentralen Teils des Krankheitsmechanismus ermöglicht, in Zukunft neue Therapien und bessere Diagnostik zu entwickeln“, erklärt Meisinger. Die Ergebnisse der Studie sind in der Fachzeitschrift „Cell Metabolism“ erschienen. (more…)
A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system’s ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
In a small pilot study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance. (more…)
UCLA researchers discover new point of attack for drug therapy
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of late-life dementia. The disorder is thought to be caused by a protein known as amyloid-beta, or Abeta, which clumps together in the brain, forming plaques that are thought to destroy neurons. This destruction starts early, too, and can presage clinical signs of the disease by up to 20 years.
For decades now, researchers have been trying, with limited success, to develop drugs that prevent this clumping. Such drugs require a “target” — a structure they can bind to, thereby preventing the toxic actions of Abeta. (more…)
Molecular ‘tweezers’ break up toxic aggregations of proteins in mouse model
Last March, researchers at UCLA reported the development of a molecular compound called CLR01 that prevented toxic proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease from binding together and killing the brain’s neurons.
Building on those findings, they have now turned their attention to Alzheimer’s disease, which is thought to be caused by a similar toxic aggregation or clumping, but with different proteins, especially amyloid-beta and tau. (more…)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scientists have found that eliminating an enzyme from mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease leads to a 90 percent reduction in the compounds responsible for formation of the plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
That is the most dramatic reduction in this compound reported to date in published research.
The compounds are amyloid beta, or A-beta peptides; peptides are proteins, but are shorter in length. When A-beta peptides accumulate in excessive amounts in the brain, they can form plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. (more…)
A team of academic researchers has identified the intracellular mechanisms regulated by vitamin D3 that may help the body clear the brain of amyloid beta, the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Published in the March 6 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the early findings show that vitamin D3 may activate key genes and cellular signaling networks to help stimulate the immune system to clear the amyloid-beta protein. (more…)
