Morphing brain DNA hints at a whole new way to treat Alzheimer’s
Originally shared by Ward Plunet
Morphing brain DNA hints at a whole new way to treat Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are reshuffling their own DNA. The finding may explain how Alzheimer’s disease develops and pave the way for new treatments using existing HIV drugs. Most drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease are designed to clear out clumps of beta-amyloid protein that build up in the brain of people with the condition. But they have had disappointing outcomes in clinical trials so far. While studying the gene responsible for making beta-amyloid – called APP – Jerold Chun at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California and his colleagues discovered something strange. The gene appeared to be able to reshuffle its DNA, allowing it to take thousands of different forms. The team found about 10 times more variants of the APP gene in brain cells from people with Alzheimer’s disease than without. These different forms were able to produce a range of toxic proteins in addition to beta-amyloid. The finding may explain why Alzheimer’s drugs that specifically target beta-amyloid have had limited success, says Chun. “They may be missing thousands of other toxic products that are a bit different or maybe very different,” he says.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2186180-morphing-brain-dna-hints-at-a-whole-new-way-to-treat-alzheimers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&campaign_id=RSS%7CNSNS-
Morphing brain DNA hints at a whole new way to treat Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are reshuffling their own DNA. The finding may explain how Alzheimer’s disease develops and pave the way for new treatments using existing HIV drugs. Most drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease are designed to clear out clumps of beta-amyloid protein that build up in the brain of people with the condition. But they have had disappointing outcomes in clinical trials so far. While studying the gene responsible for making beta-amyloid – called APP – Jerold Chun at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California and his colleagues discovered something strange. The gene appeared to be able to reshuffle its DNA, allowing it to take thousands of different forms. The team found about 10 times more variants of the APP gene in brain cells from people with Alzheimer’s disease than without. These different forms were able to produce a range of toxic proteins in addition to beta-amyloid. The finding may explain why Alzheimer’s drugs that specifically target beta-amyloid have had limited success, says Chun. “They may be missing thousands of other toxic products that are a bit different or maybe very different,” he says.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2186180-morphing-brain-dna-hints-at-a-whole-new-way-to-treat-alzheimers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&campaign_id=RSS%7CNSNS-
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