New path for novel Alzheimer’s therapies found
May 21st, 2010 - 3:04 pm ICT by ANIWashington, May 21 (ANI): Scientists have discovered a new Alzheimer’s-related mechanism that could give rise to the development of new therapies against this disease.
The novelty lies in a new mechanism through which the amyloid peptide, the major pathogen in Alzheimer’s disease, provokes neuronal death.
Researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) have found that this peptide activates some receptors that lead cells to overexcitation and subsequent death; when such receptors are blocked with specific drugs, neurons are protected from the peptide-related lethal effects.
This finding is particularly relevant for the development of new therapies slowing down Alzheimer’s progression.
The research work was supervised by Dr. Carlos Matute, Director of Neurotek research centre and Head of the Neurobiology Laboratory of the Neurosciences Department at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
The research team led by Dr. Matute deals with the molecular and cell fundamentals of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis.
In particular, it focuses on the mechanism leading to cell death in the nervous system by using different tests based on cell cultures,
experimental animals, human brains coming from demised people suffering these diseases and living patients’ samples.
This team, which has already released many patents, also searches for markers supporting early diagnosis of these diseases.
The study was recently published in the Cell Calcium journal. (ANI)
- New mechanism links cellular stress to brain damage - Dec 09, 2010
- Novel gene therapy shows promise against Alzheimer's - Mar 05, 2011
- Turmeric-based drug being tested against Alzheimer's - Feb 15, 2012
- New method to cleanse brain of Alzheimer's plaques developed - Dec 10, 2010
- New finding shows promise in the fight against Alzheimer's - Jan 27, 2011
- Scientists eliminate plaque formation in Alzheimer's - Sep 06, 2012
- How are brain cells possessed and damaged by demons of dementia - Mar 04, 2010
- Scientists say Alzheimer's, Down syndrome, atherosclerosis linked - Jan 16, 2010
- Tobacco-derived compound prevents memory loss in Alzheimer's - Apr 28, 2011
- Asthma drug could help fight Alzheimer's - Mar 27, 2011
- Asthma drug could help fight Alzheimer's disease - Mar 26, 2011
- Potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's identified - Mar 12, 2011
- Why Alzheimer's drug is both safe and effective - Aug 19, 2010
- Function found for protein that causes Alzheimer's disease - Sep 13, 2010
- Link between Down syndrome, Alzheimer's disease discovered - Jan 13, 2011
Tags: cell calcium, cell cultures, cell death, diagnosis, dr carlos, experimental animals, human brains, lethal effects, matute, multiple sclerosis, nervous system, neurobiology laboratory, neurodegenerative diseases, neuronal death, neurosciences, patents, pathogen, peptide, receptors, university of the basque country