A team of researchers from the Centre for Scientific Research (CSIC) has discovered a mechanism to prevent memory loss in Alzheimer's disease, through a study of mouse models which can be consulted about possible avenues for therapeutic intervention.
The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Neurosciencie, has been directed by the doctor of the Basque Foundation for Science Ikerbasque, Shira Knafo, of the Biophysics Unit, part of the CSIC and the University of the Basque Country (UPV / EHU ); Jose Antonio Esteban, from the Centre for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CSIC-Universidad Autonoma de Madrid); and Cesar Venero, from the National University of Distance Education.
As reported, in a press release, Ikerbasque and the UPV / EHU, these researchers have developed a tool, to get that mice, sick of Alzheimer, retain memory.
As explained by these entities and CSIC, in a separate statement, the neurons communicate with each other, using synaptic connections, in which the exchange of information, from one neuron to another, is given and are not static, but are modulated, each to other, due to the activity or experience of neurons.
This phenomenon is known as synaptic plasticity, which is a fundamental mechanism of learning and memory. Alterations, in synaptic plasticity, cause difficulties in memory formation, which occurs in Alzheimer's.
These researchers have found that, in this disease, the synaptic plasticity is altered by a protein, originally described as a tumor s research group of the Dr. Stebuppressor, called PTEN, which is what hinders memory.
In 2010, the team of research, from the Centre of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa, discovered that this protein is present, at synapses, and participates in physiological modulation, during synaptic plasticity.
The work, now published, evidences that this mechanism gets out of control, in Alzheimer's disease, hampering memory, when sending one of the pathological agents of the disease, the beta-amyloid, the PTEN protein into synapses excessively.
Researchers have developed a molecular tool that blocks the arrival of PTEN synapses, with which have achieved that neurons are resistant to the beta-amyloid and Alzheimer's patients mice retain memory.
According to the same sources, it is a basic science research, with animal models, but it contributes to dissect the mechanisms, that control cognitive functions and provides guidance on possible avenues for therapeutic intervention, for mental illness, in which these mechanisms are defective.
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Luis.
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