Scientists believe they have shed light on why brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery that could lead to new treatments.
Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is linked to the build-up of toxic proteins in the brain. How this is connected to the death of brain cells – the process that causes symptoms such as memory loss and problems thinking – had not been clear, however.
A new study, published in the journal Science, suggests that neurons – the nerve cells in the brain – are pushed into a kind of self-destruct mode, known as necroptosis, by the release of a messenger molecule.
A drug that blocks this messenger could potentially slow or even prevent the disease, experts said.
Finding