Scientists
Gain New Understanding of Alzheimer's Trigger
(May 2, 2012) A highly toxic beta-amyloid – a protein that exists in the brains of
Alzheimer's disease victims – has been found to greatly increase the toxicity
of other more common and less toxic beta-amyloids, serving as a possible
"trigger" for the advent and development of Alzheimer's, researchers
at the University of Virginia and German biotech company Probiodrug have
discovered.
The
finding, reported in the May 2 online edition of the journal Nature, could lead
to more effective treatments for Alzheimer's. Already, Probiodrug AG, based in
Halle, Germany has completed phase 1 clinical trials in Europe with a small
molecule that inhibits an enzyme, glutaminyl cyclase, that catalyzes the formation
of this hypertoxic version of beta-amyloid.