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A major discovery by a group of Mayo Clinic researchers may bring scientists closer to predicting and treating Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating illness that affects millions of people and their families.
The Mayo team, which presented its findings at an international conference on Wednesday, has uncovered a new link between a protein and Alzheimer’s that could push research in new directions.
The protein is called TDP-43. It’s been known for several years, but now doctor’s believe it could have something to do with Alzheimer’s, and this could be a breakthrough in finding a cure. TDP-43 was previously linked to Lou Gehrig’s disease, but it was discovered during a recent Mayo Clinic study that nearly two thirds of Alzheimer’s patients had abnormal levels of the protein in their brain.
It’s not yet known if TDP-43 causes Alzheimer’s disease or if the disease causes the protein, but the discovery gives doctors and pharmaceutical companies a new target in treating the disease.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Keith Josephs, says this discovery opens up limitless doors to research. “There are really no limits,” Dr. Josephs said. “I mean there are so many next steps that one can think of. Trying to identify the protein before one dies, for example. So at the present time, we can only identify the protein with a microscope after death. Now if we can figure out how to target this protein, we can identify it while folks are alive.”
Dr. Josephs said this discovery could help with early detection of Alzheimer’s, long before symptoms occur.
The next step is to examine patients with beginning stages of the disease, to see if the protein is present and where it is in the brain.
Agencies/Canadajournal
