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Articles - New Pieces of the Puzzle |
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The Fall of 1999 was a productive one for Alzheimer's research. Each new study helps further the understanding of this complex disease. While much of the research is in very preliminary stages, each study provides another link to understanding the disease and working toward medical treatments. Listed below are references to two of several articles and studies. December 9, 1999, the journal Nature published a research study conducted by the Harvard Medical School and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This study suggests that the accumulation of an altered protein in the brain and its interaction with a particular enzyme can lead to irreversible damage and neuron death, similar to those seen in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. This research, while preliminary, involves the theory that an underlying cause of Alzheimer's is tau protein tangles inside nerve cells. This could lead to new approaches of treatment. October 22, 1999 the journal Science published a research study conducted by Dr. Martin Citron and his colleagues at Amgen, a biotechnology company in Thousand Oaks, California. This research suggests that they have isolated beta-secretase, one of the enzymes believed to cause amyloid plaques. Amyloid plaques are tiny protein fragments that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. While preliminary, this research could speed the development of medications to inhibit this enzyme. For further information on these or other research studies, please call the Northern Virginia Helpline at (703) 359-4440 or (866) 259-0042.
Last updated: March 30, 2000
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