Scientists stop and reverse Alzheimer's-related brain damage in mice
Written by Ana Sandoiu
Published: Today
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Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative illness that affects millions of people in the United States. The condition is known to be gradual and irreversible - but emerging research may have found a way to reduce, and even reverse, some of the neurological damage that comes with the disorder.
[neurons with tau tangles]Neurons that contain the synthetic molecule (here shown in red) have no tau tangles (shown in green).
Image credit: Sarah DeVos
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 5 million U.S. adults, according to the National Institute on Aging.
The brain disorder has been linked to an accumulation of plaque and dysfunctional proteins in the brain. Most of the existing research has focused on the buildup of the protein amyloid beta, but more recent studies have used the latest imaging techniques to investigate another protein, called tau.
In a healthy brain, the protein tau contributes to the good functioning of the neurons. The brain has a kind of cell transportation system that carries cell parts, food molecules, and other materials along something that resembles railroad tracks.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315474.php
