Alzheimer's disease: new perspectives
Alzheimer's disease is a common disease that affects the elderly. In the pathogenesis of the disease, a key role belongs to two proteins – beta-amyloid and tau-protein, which accumulate in the brain, damaging nerve cells and lead to the development of dementia.
A unique biological model of the disease developed by a group of scientists at Boston University opens the way to the development of a completely new approach to its treatment.
In a recent study, scientists found that tau protein is normally produced in response to stress factors, participating in the creation of RNA protein complexes ("stress granules"), which trigger the process of producing protective proteins. Prolonged exposure to stress leads to depletion of protective forces, accumulation of stress complexes, accumulation and aggregation of tau protein, which damages nerve cells and causes dementia.
Using the described model, the authors of a new in vivo study proved that with a decrease in the number of stress granules, the process of damage to nerve cells slows down significantly, probably due to a decrease in the accumulation of tau protein. They suggested that they could slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease by reducing the amount of TIA1 protein, which is necessary for the formation of an RNA-protein stress complex.
In a study on mouse models, a decrease in TIA1 protein synthesis led to the preservation of nerve cells, a noticeable improvement in memory and an increase in life expectancy.
Despite the improvement in cognitive functions in mice with Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found large clusters of neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein in the brain. It turned out that they did not have a negative effect on the brain, since small clusters of tau protein (tau oligomers) are the most toxic for neurons. The decrease in the TIA1 protein level caused a sharp decrease in the number of tau oligomers. Large neurofibrillary tangles, the number of which did not decrease, turned out to be less toxic to the brain.
The results of the study open up broad prospects for the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other taupathies based on reduced TIA1 protein synthesis.
Article by Daniei J. Apicco et al. Reducing the RNA binding protein TIA1 protects against tau-mediated neurodegeneration in vivo is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Aminate Adzhieva, portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru