A New Biology of Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) describe a unique model for the biology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which may lead to an entirely novel approach for treating the disease.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaBy Alzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:Researchers describe new biology of Alzheimer's diseaseScientists have known for a long time that two proteins (amyloid and tau) clump and accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer patients, and this accumulation is thought to cause nerve cell injury that results in dementia.Recent work by these BUSMresearchers has shown that the clumping and accumulation of tau occurs as a normal response to stress, producing RNA/protein complexes termed "stress granules," which reflect the need for the brain to produce protective proteins.The persistence of this "stress response" leadsto excessive stress, the accumulation of pathological stress granules, and the accumulation of clumped tau, which drives nerve cell injury and produces dementia.Alzheimer's Affects the Way a Person Thinks, Feels, and ActsIn the current study, the researchers use this new model and showthat reducing the level of stress granule proteins yields strong protection, possibly by reducing persistent pathological stress granules as well as changing the type of tau clumping that occurs.The research teamhypothesized that they could delay the disease process by reducing stress granules and decreasing ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's disease biology brain dementia memory science TIA1 tau Source Type: blogs