Alzheimer's Disease: Newly Found Peptide Offers Hope Of Early Test And Better Treatment

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 11 Jun 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Researchers in Japan have detected a peptide in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that can show whether a person is developing Alzheimer's disease. Measuring the level of this peptide could show that the disease process has started, long before any serious damage is done to the brain.

This research, published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, raises new opportunities for combating Alzheimer's disease. Currently treatments can only be started after considerable structural damage has occurred in the person's brain. However, if this finding is broadly used as a clinical test, treatment may be possible before too much damage is present, offering the hope of much better outcomes.

"This novel peptide is the long-sought surrogate marker for Alzheimer's disease," says lead researcher Masayasu Okochi, who works in the Department of Neuropsychiatry at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.

Treating Alzheimer's disease is complex for a number of reasons. First, there are few or no signs that a person has the disease until the destructive process has been active in the person's brain for many months or years. Second, once the damage is done in the brain, it is difficult to restore lost function.

Consequently, many people are trying to find ways of detecting the onset of Alzheimer's disease long before any symptoms appear. In addition, they want to use a sampling method that does not involve costly scanning equipment.

The multi-centre Japanese team analysed CSF and brain tissue samples from people with and without diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. They discovered that increases in levels of their newly identified peptide (APL1beta28) reflected increased production of Abeta42 in the brain. While Abeta42 is always produced in the brain, this peptide is one of the key constituents of the senile plaques that play a critical role in Alzheimer's disease, and increased production is associated with plaque formation.

"Many pharmaceutical companies are developing Abeta-targeting compounds that could prevent some of the brain damage associated with Alzheimer's disease, but their use will be limited if given after symptoms appear. Our new test allows early diagnosis, giving patients the chance of getting maximum benefit from these new drugs," says Okochi.

Full citation:
Yanagida.K, Okochi.M, et al. The 28-amino acid form of an APLP1-derived Abeta-like peptide is a surrogate marker for Abeta42production in the central nervous system. EMBO Mol. Med. 2009 1(4), 10.1002/emmm.200900026

About the Author

Masayasu Okochi (MD) is based at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan.

About the Journal

Molecular medicine is a rapidly-growing area of research at the interface between clinical research and basic biology. Powerful new analytical tools provided by molecular biology allow unprecedented insights into human physiology and the molecular basis of diseases. These insights are being translated into better diagnosis, prevention and patient care. EMBO Molecular Medicine is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the publication of original, cutting-edge research in the field of molecular medicine of interest to medical and basic scientists. The Journal publishes research articles and reviews highly relevant to all fields of clinical medicine and their related research areas in basic biology. Studies based on model organisms also fall within the scope of the journal, provided that the results presented are evidently relevant to human disease.

For more information please visit http://www.embomolmed.org.

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EMBO Molecular Medicine will be made freely available for the first two years of publication. Institutional customers can opt to receive complimentary online access for this journal. Institutions may also request one complimentary print subscription when registering for online access to EMBO Molecular Medicine.

About EMBO

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) promotes excellence in molecular life sciences by recognizing and fostering talented scientists, empowering them to advance the life sciences to understand how life works and share knowledge to help address the challenges of a changing world. For details about EMBO and its activities please visit http://www.embo.org.

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Wiley-Blackwell