Scientists have found that a peptide treatment may help reverse some Alzheimer’s symptoms. ACALU Studio/Stocksy Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but treatments can alleviate symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion, and some may slow the progress of the disease.
The disease is characterized by a buildup of proteins in the brain that interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses.
A new study in mice modified to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms has shown that treatment with a synthetic peptide can reduce this protein buildup and restore memory and learning functions.
As people, on average, are living longer, dementia is a growing problem worldwide. Studies suggest that dementia will affect more than 150 million people around the world by 2050.
Alzheimer’s disease can produce a range of symptoms, such as memory loss , cognitive deficits, and changes in personality, which are widely thought to be caused by a buildup of two proteins — beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau — in the brain.
Existing treatments generally aim to alleviate symptoms, with some newer disease-modifying treatments, such as aducanumab and lecanemab , showing promise at clearing Aβ. However, these monoclonal antibody treatments have side effects , which some experts believe may outweigh their clinical benefits.
A new study has outlined a potential treatment that targets the tau protein that builds up into neurofibrillary tangles which slow down the passage of nerve impulses across synapses (the junctions between nerve cells).
The researchers found that in transgenic mice a synthetic peptide, PHDP5, inhibited a pathway that leads to tau buildup and reversed memory and learning deficits.
The study is published in Brain Research . “Using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, this study sheds some light on a novel potential treatment pathway.”— Stefania Forner, Ph.D. , Alzheimer’s Association director of medical and scientific relations, who was not involved in the study. Peptide reduces tau buildup in brain Key to the transmission of nerve impulses across synapses are two substances — dynamin and microtubules . These work together to recycle vesicles full of neurotransmitter , which transmits the impulse from one nerve cell to the next.In […]
Peptide treatment could reverse cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease
