Discovery brings new hope for possible Alzheimer’s treatments
Brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease could be the result of over-activation of an enzyme linked to obesity and insulin production, The Scripps Research Institute reported.
When scientists blocked AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mice,neurons were protected from the loss of synapses — neuron-to-neuron connection points –that are typical of the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease, according to TSRI.
“These findings open up many new avenues of investigation, includingthe possibility of developing therapies that target the upstream mechanismsleading to AMPK over-activation in the brain,” said TSRI professor FranckPolleux, who led the study.
His team’s report appears in this week’s edition of the journal Neuron.Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that afflictsmore than 25 million people worldwide, has no cure or disease-delaying therapy.
TSRI said its been known for years that patients in the early stages ofAlzheimer’s diseases lose synapses in areas of the brain that involve memory,but didn’t know how. Recent studies have shown that AMPK might lead to tangles of the protein tau that are seen in the brains of patients.
The enzyme is also tied to regulation of insulin synthesis and secretionin pancreatic cells, and modulation of hypothalamic functions, according tothemedicalbiochemistrypage.org.
Polleux said the discovery not only could impact potential Alzheimer’streatments, but also suggests a need for further safety studies on an existingdrug, metformin, a popular treatment for Type 2 Diabetes. He said metformincauses AMPK over-activation.
TSRI said the scientists are now studying what else the over-activationof the AMPK enzyme causes, and how it might contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease over the long term.
