Sci Rep: The key protein for Alzheimer's disease has the effect of treating disease

February 9, 2021 /--- -- The findings of a new study on Alzheimer's disease (AD), led by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, could eventually help clinicians diagnose and pave the way for treatment for people at high risk of developing brain disease.
the study, published recently in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that a shorter form of protein peptide is thought to cause AD (β-amyloid protein 42 or A-beta 42), ending the destruction mechanism of its longer proteins.
(Photo: www.pixabay.com) "Although A-beta-42 destroys the mechanisms by which brain cells learn and form memories, A-beta-38 completely inhibits this effect and essentially saves brain cells," said author Darrell Mousseau, a professor of neuropsyneastology and professor of neurosynology.
previous studies have suggested that A-beta 38 may not be as "bad" as longer forms, but their study is the first to prove that it is actually protective, said Mousseau.
if we can specifically remove A-beta-42 and keep only A-beta 38, maybe it will help people live longer or cause disease to start later, and that's what we all want," he said.
"A beta42 is toxic to cells, disrupts cell-to-cell communication, and accumulates over time to form deposits called plaques.
the combination of these factors is believed to be the cause of AD.
has long believed that all forms of A-beta peptides cause AD, even though clinical trials have shown that removing these peptides from a patient's brain does not prevent or treat the disease.
the study confirmed the protective effects of shorter proteins in a variety of analyses: including the synthesis of protein forms in test tubes, in human cells, and in nematode models widely used in the study of aging and neurodegeneration, as well as in brain samples from autopsies.
in brain samples, they also found that A-men with higher levels of A-beta 42 and A-beta-38 levels died earlier.
they did not see the same pattern in the female sample, suggesting that the protein peptide behaved differently in both men and women.
(Bioon.com) Source: Brain protein that Alzheimer's cause's also protects against the disease Original source: Maa O. Quartey et al, The A beta (1-38) peptide is a negative regulator of the a beta (1-42) peptide implicated Alzheimer's in progress, Scientific Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80164-w