PsychoGadget & NeuroGadget: Researchers find agents that speed up destruction of proteins linked to Alzheimer's

2009年4月22日星期三

Researchers find agents that speed up destruction of proteins linked to Alzheimer's

Taking a new approach to the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, a research team led by investigators at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida has shown that druglike compounds can speed up destruction of the amyloid beta (A-beta) proteins that form plaque in the brains of patients with the disorder.

Researchers say their study, published in the April 22 online issue of PLoS ONE, demonstrates that this strategy is a viable and exciting alternative to the approach most drug designers have taken to date.

"Historically, a lot of effort has been made at stopping initial production of A-beta in order to halt development of Alzheimer's disease, but we are interested in what happens to A-beta after it is produced," says the study's lead researcher, Malcolm Leissring, Ph.D., from Mayo's Department of Neuroscience.