Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have
shed light on one of the major toxic mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. The
discoveries could lead to a much better understanding of the Alzheimer’s
process and how to prevent it.
The findings, reported in the April 10, 2013 issue of the
journal Neuron, show that brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease is linked to the
overactivation of an enzyme called AMPK. When the scientists blocked this
enzyme in mouse models of the disease, neurons were protected from loss of
synapses—neuron-to-neuron connection points—typical of the early phase of
Alzheimer's disease.