Protein Fragments and Alzheimer's

By Jane Farrell

Two newly discovered protein fragments may lead to drugs that will better treat Alzheimer’s disease.

In a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Prof. Illana Gozes, of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience, said that investigators had already focused on a protein called NAP, which is essential for brain formation.

Now, they have found similar protein fragments.

In their study, investigators looked at the effect of the fragments on mice with symptoms similar to thse of Alzheimer’s.

The earlier research showed that NAP had some positive effect on patients with mild cognitive disorder, a precursor to Alzheimer’s. These latest findings indicate that there could someday be drugs relying on NAP and the other protein fragments to treat patients.

Gozes said, that “the newly discovered protein fragments, just like NAP before them, work to protect …the cell."