Scientists identify enigmatic aggregates linked to
neurodegenerative diseases
In certain dementias silent areas of the genetic code are
translated into highly unusual proteins by mistake. An international team of
scientists including researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative
Diseases (DZNE) in Munich and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) present
this finding in the online edition of “Science”. The proteins that have now
been identified shouldn’t actually exist. Nevertheless, they build the core of
cellular aggregates whose identity has been enigmatic until now. These
aggregates are typically associated with hereditary neurodegenerative diseases
including variants of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), also known as
frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS). They are likely to be damaging and might be a target for therapy.