Protein Mechanism in Neurodegenerative Diseases

HuntingtinHuntingtin, the abnormal protein that produces clumps characteristic of Huntington disease (HD), can spread from one neuron to another. That's what a recent study has uncovered. Because such protein clumping is observed in other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD), some scientists hope that understanding this newly discovered mechanism of transmission within brain tissue may lead to possible treatments or preventive strategies.If you want to read more about it, check out the resources I've provided below.What can we use from this in teaching undergraduate A&P?This information can help us answer those pesky "why do we need to know all this if I'm going to be a [insert health profession here]?" challenges when covering the details of protein structure.  The sequence of amino acids and the complex folded structure of proteins really does have real-world clinical implications.  And is already becoming necessary to understand disease mechanisms and treatment strategies.  In real life!Discussing the basic idea of this discovery provides a starting platform from which we can jump into discussions of Degeneration of tissues in general and neurodegeneration in particularWhy neurodegeneration in specific brain locations produces specific neural deficitsPrions and their possible roles in various disordersThe possible roles of genetic mechanisms in neurodegenerative disordersThe need to know details about...
Source: The A and P Professor - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: blogs