Discovery suggests new ways to treat Alzheimer's cause, not just symptoms


	Discovery suggests new ways to treat Alzheimer's cause, not just symptoms

BobbyDelray

10-19-2007 12:29 PM

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tags:

alzheimer's, ucla, gene, mutations, a beta, protein, amyloid protein loop, david teplow, david geffen

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/29b07c04-ce1f-451d-90fb-38213c3d938f/7C76A86D-5687-4E10-881B-B4E5A3543AEF/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx" href="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx" style="font-size: 11px;">www.newsroom.ucla.edu</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx"><DIV><B></B>For some time, scientists have blamed Alzheimer's disease on a small molecule called amyloid beta protein (A beta) that leaves large gummy deposits in the brain. Recent studies suggest that these A beta proteins stick together to form floating toxic clumps that kill brain cells. Now, UCLA scientists have identified a tiny loop in A beta as the likely culprit behind the adhesion process.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx"><DIV>The UCLA team discovered that gene mutations in A beta increase the loop's flexibility, enabling it to join easily with loops from other A beta proteins and form clumps. The loop also appears in the region of the protein that regulates how — and how much — A beta is made.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx"><DIV>Principal investigator David Teplow, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is available for interviews.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx"><DIV>The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the findings in its Oct. 10 online early edition. For a PDF of the study, see <A href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pio/tipsheetdoc.php/237/zpq7481.pdf">www.eurekalert.org/pio/tipsheetdoc.php/237/zpq7481.pdf</A>.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientists-pinpoint-physical-39808.aspx"></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/7C76A86D-5687-4E10-881B-B4E5A3543AEF/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>