New Way to Study Alzheimer's

Scientists at the Salk Institute discovered that Alzheimer's may be the result of old cells losing their ability to clean up a protein called beta-amyloid. Young, yealthy brains can clear excess amount of beta-amyloid, but plaques build-up of the protein are a hallmark of the disease.

They made the discovery by studying the C-elegans worm, which has some of the same genes related to aging as humans. From a very well-written AP story by Lauren Neergaard:

About 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, a toll expected to more than triple by 2050 as the population grays. The creeping brain disease gradually robs sufferers of their memories and ability to care for themselves, eventually killing them. There is no known cure; today's drugs only temporarily alleviate symptoms.

Nor does anyone know what causes Alzheimer's. The lead suspect is a gooey protein called beta-amyloid. All brains contain it, although healthy cells somehow get rid of excess amounts. But beta-amyloid builds up in Alzheimer's patients, both inside their brain cells and forming clumps that coat the cells - plaque that is the disease's hallmark.

Thursday's study reveals one way that cells fend off amyloid buildup, and that natural aging gradually erodes that detoxification process.

"Every pathway we can discover that modifies amyloid provides us with new drug targets," said Dr. http://www.jefferson.edu/fin/faculty_profile.cfm?key=sxg168 Sam Gandy, a neuroscientist at Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University and an Alzheimer's Association spokesman. "This now opens up a new pathway" for developing anti-Alzheimer's drugs.

The scientists published their research Thursday in the journal Science.

Microscipic image of an amyloid plaque

• Thanks Lewis!*