New Research Reveals Mutated Gene That May Cause Alzheimer’s Disease

A recent discovery made into the cause of the Alzheimer’s disease may help scientists develop new drugs that may prevent or slow the disease. Researchers found that a mutated gene may be responsible for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The gene affected  is a key part of the body’s recycling program and when it fails, it ultimately results in the death of healthy cells.

Dr. Ralph A. Nixon co-authored the study that reveals some enlightening information about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The presenilin 1 gene is an integral part of the body’s lysosome function. Lysosomes are part of the internal cell structure and work to remove or digest unnecessary proteins. A mutation of the PS1 gene typically results in lysosome failure. The failure results in a clump of proteins known as beta-amyloids to form in the brain. Scientists have known for a while that Alzheimer’s patients have increased levels of the beta-amyloid protein, but were unable to pinpoint why. Current Alzheimer’s medications work to attack the clump of proteins that clog the brain. Unfortunately, the medicines have not been proven useful in preventing or halting memory loss.

Researchers hope with this latest discovery, scientists can work to solve the root cause of the problem by developing therapies that work to eliminate the protein from the brain altogether. However, the protein buildup also causes cell death, which may play a role in memory loss and the progressive nature of the disease. The study and its findings can be found in the journal Cell.