miR-1 vs. Huntington's Chorea
A remedy for an incurable disease has been found
Scientists at Monash University and Cambridge University have discovered a potential remedy for Huntington's chorea, an incurable and fatal disease that affects the nervous system. This is reported in a press release on EurekAlert!.
Article by Nehammer et al. Interferon-β-induced miR-1 alleviates toxic protein accumulation by controlling autophagy published in the journal eLife – VM.
Researchers have identified a microRNA (short-stranded RNA) that regulates the accumulation of protein aggregates that are formed during the disease and accumulate in nerve cells, interfering with their normal function. Thus, the miR-1 molecule is present in small amounts in patients suffering from another neurological disorder – Parkinson's disease. This microRNA is also characterized by its conservativeness, that is, it is the same in humans and in nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans, although these species are separated by 600 million years of evolution.
The removal of miR-1 from worms led to the fact that the active aggregation of defective proteins began in animal cells. In addition, scientists have shown that miR-1 controls the synthesis of TBC-7 protein, which, in turn, regulates autophagy – the process of removing damaged cells and their components. The same type of microRNA affects autophagy in human cells.
The formation of a large amount of miR-1 can be influenced by interferon-a β – protein that is usually secreted by human cells in response to infection with a virus.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru