A way to prevent Alzheimer's disease
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
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Scientists have invented a method for purifying neurons from the brain of mice from toxic products of vital activity, which makes it possible to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease. In the future, the technology is planned to be used to treat people, according to a study published in Human Molecular Genetics.
According to a popular hypothesis among doctors, the development of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases is caused by the accumulation of beta-amyloid (toxins-ed.) Inside neurons of the brain. In later stages of the disease, amyloid inside the neurons becomes too much, which leads to rupture of nerve cells and the formation of so-called amyloid plaques already in the intercellular space.
A group of scientists led by Charbel Moussa from the University of Georgetown in Washington, USA, during the experiments, injected additional copies of the genes of the parkin gene into the motor cortex of rodent cortex predisposed to the development of Alzheimer's disease. This protein performs one of the key functions for purifying neurons from spent biochemical material, in particular the protein complex of beta-amyloid, as well as damaged mitochondria and other protein molecules.
In the course of the experiments, scientists showed that the introduction of the parkin protein at an early stage of the disease in model mice led to complete purification of neurons from amyloid, which ultimately led not only to stop the progression of the disease, but also to restore the functions of nerve cells.
"We were the first to show that additional copies of the parkin gene introduced into the cells allow us to get rid of beta amyloid inside the brain cells." Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the accumulation of toxic types of proteins in neurons, and the approach developed by us is aimed at combating this process in its early stages "- said lead author of the study Charbel Moussa (Charbel Moussa), the words of which the press service of the University of Georgetown.
In a specially deduced line of mice used in the work, the accumulation of beta-amyloid in neurons began naturally in the sixth month of life.
Half of the mice at the early stage of life produced injections of a harmless virus, which increased the amount of parkin protein in the brain neurons by 1.5 times, while the second group of experimental animals grew without injections.
As the analysis showed, the parkin started the processes of purifying neurons - removing the accumulating beta-amyloid and damaged mitochondria, as well as restoring the normal functioning of biochemical processes inside neurons, which returned them normal functional properties.
Scientists believe that after carrying out all the necessary stages of animal experiments, the safety and effectiveness of the technique should be studied in relation to people. Moussa is confident that the application of the technique in the early stages can completely prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, which affects approximately 30 million people worldwide, and in the later stages, at least, stop the progression.
A group of scientists led by Charbel Moussa from the University of Georgetown in Washington, USA, during the experiments, injected additional copies of the genes of the parkin gene into the motor cortex of rodent cortex predisposed to the development of Alzheimer's disease. This protein performs one of the key functions for purifying neurons from spent biochemical material, in particular the protein complex of beta-amyloid, as well as damaged mitochondria and other protein molecules.
In the course of the experiments, scientists showed that the introduction of the parkin protein at an early stage of the disease in model mice led to complete purification of neurons from amyloid, which ultimately led not only to stop the progression of the disease, but also to restore the functions of nerve cells.
"We were the first to show that additional copies of the parkin gene introduced into the cells allow us to get rid of beta amyloid inside the brain cells." Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the accumulation of toxic types of proteins in neurons, and the approach developed by us is aimed at combating this process in its early stages "- said lead author of the study Charbel Moussa (Charbel Moussa), the words of which the press service of the University of Georgetown.
In a specially deduced line of mice used in the work, the accumulation of beta-amyloid in neurons began naturally in the sixth month of life.
Half of the mice at the early stage of life produced injections of a harmless virus, which increased the amount of parkin protein in the brain neurons by 1.5 times, while the second group of experimental animals grew without injections.
As the analysis showed, the parkin started the processes of purifying neurons - removing the accumulating beta-amyloid and damaged mitochondria, as well as restoring the normal functioning of biochemical processes inside neurons, which returned them normal functional properties.
Scientists believe that after carrying out all the necessary stages of animal experiments, the safety and effectiveness of the technique should be studied in relation to people. Moussa is confident that the application of the technique in the early stages can completely prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, which affects approximately 30 million people worldwide, and in the later stages, at least, stop the progression.
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