Cure For Alzheimer's A Step Closer

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;  Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 25 Jul 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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Scientists from St. Andrews University, Scotland, say they have developed a compound that has effectively stopped the disease from destroying brain cells. They say that the compound also seems to improve damaged memory and cognitive ability.

Their research, led by Dr Frank Gunn-Moore, has sparked enough interest for the Alzheimer's Research Trust to place a further £84,743 (about $190,000) towards three more years of research.

The money will go towards helping Kirsty Muirhead, a PhD student, as she tries to design man-made compounds that stop ABAD (Amyloid Beta Alcohol Dehydrogenase), an enzyme, from triggering several biochemical reactions that result in the destruction of brain cells. Muirhead's research, says the Alzheimer's Research Trust, may bring us one step closer to developing an effective Alzheimer's therapy.

In a healthy person, ABAD helps produce energy in the brain. However, in Alzheimer's patients, a protein called amyloid beta binds to it and triggers damaging biochemical reactions that destroy brain cells. Dr. Gunn-Moore and his team have been able to identify a compound that stops ABAD from sticking to amyloid beta in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

This discovery had promising results:

• Early signs of disease progression were reversed
• The destruction of brain cells was stopped
• Damaged memory and learning abilities improved

Muirhead's aim is to find other compounds which might stop amyloid beta from sticking to ABAD and test how effective they are. Part of the research will also involve checking for safety and finding the inhibitor with the best potential for future therapy for humans.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said "A drug that can stop Alzheimer's disease from killing brain cells is a holy grail for researchers working to overcome the devastating condition which affects more than 500,000 people in the UK. Alzheimer's is a complex and under-funded disease, so it is a real challenge to find the right targets to fight it. If the researchers can find proof that inhibiting a particular reaction will prevent the death of brain cells then this is a real step forward - but we desperately need to fund many more steps if we are to beat this devastating disease and find a cure. We wish Dr Gunn-Moore and his team well in this exciting research."

Alzheimer's Research Trust
http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
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