CHEVY CHASE, Md., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A traffic jam of abnormal proteins in the brain may both signal the onset of Alzheimer's disease and make it worse, researchers at a Maryland institute say.
Working with mice genetically engineered to model Alzheimer's, scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase discovered a breakdown in the neurons in the brain that blocks the transport of critical proteins to the communications centers of the nerve cells. The breakdown, which leads to swelling of the nerves, is linked to a gene that produces a defective protein.
The traffic jam of protein molecules may then contribute to the further production of abnormal proteins that further clogs the neurons.
The finding may help scientists find ways of fighting Alzheimer's by keeping the neural pathways clear. It may also lead to a test for Alzheimer's.
The study is reported in the February 25, 2005, issue of the journal Science.
