How a small molecule halts the spread of a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer ’s progression

Alzheimer ’s disease destroys brain cells in part by promoting the formation of insoluble clumps that contain a protein called tau. Not only are these “tau aggregates” toxic for the cells that harbor them, but they also invade and destroy neighboring brain cells, or neurons, which speeds the cognitive d ecline associated with the Alzheimer’s.For those reasons, Alzheimer ’s researchers have been intensely interested in therapies aimed at either preventing tau aggregation or blocking its spread.Now, researchers at theUCLA School of Nursing and the department of neurology at theDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have reported a promising drug strategy that blocks tau transmission.  Thestudy was published online in  the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.Using cultured cells, mouse models and protein structural analysis, the researchers found that a small molecule called cambinol blocks the transfer of tau aggregates from cell to cell. The study could help lay the groundwork for therapies to treat Alzheimer ’s or other dementias associated with the accumulation of tau.“Over 200 molecules have been tested as disease-modifying Alzheimer’s therapy in clinical trials, and none has yet attained the holy grail,” said Varghese John, a UCLA associate professor of neurology and the study’s senior author. “Our paper describes a novel approach to slow Alzheimer’ s progression by showing it is possible to inhibit propagation of patholog...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news