Saturday, October 22, 2016 9:07:35 PM
Here's how Alzheimer's disease can be possibly prevented
Read the article... [Hint: TAU]
Washington DC: A new study has found out that consuming pills that prevents the accumulation of toxic molecules in the brain might someday help prevent or delay Alzheimer`s disease.
According to scientists at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children`s Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the study took a three-pronged approach to help subdue early events that occur in the brain long before symptoms of Alzheimer`s disease are evident.
The scientists were able to prevent those early events and the subsequent development of brain pathology in experimental animal models in the lab."
Common diseases like Parkinson`s, Alzheimer`s and dementia are caused in part by abnormal accumulation of certain proteins in the brain," said senior author Huda Zoghbi.
"Some proteins become toxic when they accumulate; they make the brain vulnerable to degeneration.
Tau is one of those proteins involved in Alzheimer`s disease and dementia."
"Scientists in the field have been focusing mostly on the final stages of Alzheimer`s disease," said first author Cristian Lasagna-Reeves.
"Here we tried to find clues about what is happening at the very early stages of the illness, before clinical irreversible symptoms appear, with the intention of preventing or reducing those early events that lead to devastating changes in the brain decades later," Lasagna-Reeves added.
The scientists reasoned that if they could find ways to prevent or reduce tau accumulation in the brain, they would uncover new possibilities for developing drug treatments for these diseases.
Cells control the amount of their proteins with other proteins called enzymes.
To find which enzymes affect tau accumulation, the scientists systematically inhibited enzymes called kinases.
"We inhibited about 600 kinases one by one and found one, called Nuak1, whose inhibition resulted in reduced levels of tau," said Zoghbi, who is also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The scientists screened the enzymes in two different systems, cultured human cells and the laboratory fruit fly.
Screening in the fruit fly allowed the scientists to assess the effects of inhibiting the enzymes in a functional nervous system in a living organism."
Screening hundreds of kinases in the fruit fly animal model was critical because we could assess degeneration caused by tau in the fly`s nervous system and measure neuronal dysfunction.
Screening such a large number cannot be done with other animal models like the mouse, and cultured cells cannot model complex nervous system functions," said co-senior author Juan Botas.
Brain section from mouse carrying the dementia-causing P301S mutation in human tau shows accumulation of tau neurofibrillary tangles (in dark brown, left). When Nuak1 levels are decreased by 50 percent (P301S/Nuak1+/-; right), fewer tau tangles accumulate.
"We found one enzyme, Nuak1, whose inhibition consistently resulted in lower levels of tau in both human cells and fruit flies," said Zoghbi.
"Then we took this result to a mouse model of Alzheimer`s disease and hoped that the results would hold, and they did. Inhibiting Nuak1 improved the behavior of the mice and prevented brain degeneration."
"Confirming in three independent systems - human cells, the fruit fly and the mouse - that Nuak1 inhibition results in reduced levels of tau and prevents brain abnormalities induced by tau accumulation, has convinced us that Nuak1 is a reliable potential target for drugs to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer`s," said Zoghbi.
"The next step is to develop drugs that will inhibit Nuak1 in hope that one day would be able to lower tau levels with low toxicity in individuals at risk for dementia due to tau accumulation."
Scientific studies like this one that uncover basic biological mechanisms of disease make it possible to develop new strategies to prevent or treat diseases such as Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s or dementia.In the future it might be possible to treat people at risk for Alzheimer`s disease by keeping tau low.
Think of how taking drugs that lower cholesterol has helped control the accumulation of cholesterol in blood vessels that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
"When people started taking drugs that lower cholesterol, they lived longer and healthier lives rather than dying earlier of heart disease," said Zoghbi.
"Nobody has thought about Alzheimer`s disease in that light. Tau in Alzheimer`s can be compared to cholesterol in heart disease.
Tau is a protein that when it accumulates as the person ages, increases the vulnerability of the brain to developing Alzheimer`s.
So maybe if we can find drugs that can keep tau at levels that are not toxic for the brain, then we would be able to prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer`s and other diseases caused in part by toxic tau accumulation," added Zoghbi.
The study has been published in Neuron.
http://zeenews.india.com/health/heres-how-alzheimers-disease-can-be-possibly-prevented-1942533
Recent AVXL News
- Shareholders that lost money on Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL) Urged to Join Class Action - Contact The Gross Law Firm to Learn More • PR Newswire (US) • 05/10/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/09/2024 08:35:55 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/09/2024 12:00:30 PM
- Anavex Life Sciences Reports Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter Financial Results and Provides Business Update • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/09/2024 11:30:00 AM
- The Gross Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL) Shareholders • PR Newswire (US) • 05/07/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Form DEFA14A - Additional definitive proxy soliciting materials and Rule 14(a)(12) material • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/06/2024 10:03:33 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences Corporation Sued for Securities Law Violations - Contact The Gross Law Firm Before May 13, 2024 to Discuss Your Rights - AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 05/03/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences to Announce Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter Financial Results on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/02/2024 11:30:00 AM
- May 13, 2024 Deadline: Contact The Gross Law Firm to Join Class Action Suit Against AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 04/26/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Contact The Gross Law Firm by May 13, 2024 Deadline to Join Class Action Against Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL) • PR Newswire (US) • 04/19/2024 09:45:00 AM
- The Gross Law Firm Reminds Shareholders of a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of May 13, 2024 in Anavex Life Sciences Lawsuit - AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 04/16/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Class Action Filed Against Anavex Life Sciences Corporation (AVXL) - May 13, 2024 Deadline to Join - Contact The Gross Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 04/12/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences to Present at the Noble Capital Markets Virtual Healthcare Equity Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 04/11/2024 11:30:00 AM
- Class Action Filed Against Anavex Life Sciences Corporation (AVXL) - May 13, 2024 Deadline to Join - Contact The Gross Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 04/09/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences Corporation Class Action: The Gross Law Firm Reminds Anavex Life Sciences Investors of the Pending Class Action Lawsuit with a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of May 13, 2024 - AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 04/05/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Shareholders that lost money on Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL) should contact The Gross Law Firm about pending Class Action - AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 04/02/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Lost Money on Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL)? Join Class Action Suit Seeking Recovery - Contact The Gross Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 03/29/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Investors who lost money on Anavex Life Sciences Corporation(AVXL) should contact The Gross Law Firm about pending Class Action - AVXL • PR Newswire (US) • 03/26/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences to Present at the 23rd Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/25/2024 11:30:00 AM
- The Gross Law Firm Notifies Anavex Life Sciences Corporation Investors of a Class Action Lawsuit and Upcoming Deadline • PR Newswire (US) • 03/22/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences Initiates Placebo-Controlled U.S. Phase 2 Clinical Trial of ANAVEX®3-71 in Schizophrenia • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/18/2024 11:30:00 AM
- Anavex Life Sciences to Present at the 44th Annual TD Cowen Health Care Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/26/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/23/2024 11:05:18 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/23/2024 11:04:32 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/23/2024 11:04:31 AM
Avant Technologies Equipping AI-Managed Data Center with High Performance Computing Systems • AVAI • May 10, 2024 8:00 AM
VAYK Discloses Strategic Conversation on Potential Acquisition of $4 Million Home Service Business • VAYK • May 9, 2024 9:00 AM
Bantec's Howco Awarded $4.19 Million Dollar U.S. Department of Defense Contract • BANT • May 8, 2024 10:00 AM
Element79 Gold Corp Successfully Closes Maverick Springs Option Agreement • ELEM • May 8, 2024 9:05 AM
Kona Gold Beverages, Inc. Achieves April Revenues Exceeding $586,000 • KGKG • May 8, 2024 8:30 AM
Epazz plans to spin off Galaxy Batteries Inc. • EPAZ • May 8, 2024 7:05 AM