'Goldrush' breakthrough for Alzheimer's and 130 illnesses
By Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 8:24 AM on 20th December 2010Hundreds of proteins crucial to brain health have been identified, unlocking a new frontier in the treatment of conditions from Alzheimer’s to autism.
Experts have discovered that faults in these ‘repeat offender’ brain proteins are responsible for 130 conditions.The breakthrough could greatly speed the development of new drugs for degenerative and psychiatric illnesses, as well as allowing better diagnosis.
It also means that a magic bullet-type drug could be created to treat several illnesses.
Professor Seth Grant, a neuroscientist at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, near Cambridge, said: ‘There is a potential gold-rush, a whole new frontier for drug discovery.’
'New frontier in drug discover': The researchers have identified over 1000 proteins key to the elusive synapse junctions between nerve cells in the brain
The excitement centres around synapses, the ‘junction boxes’ that connect nerve cells in the brain and are key to transmitting and processing information.
With each of the brain’s 100billion cells capable of connecting to more than 1,000 others, faults in the synapses can have devastating effects. Until now, little was known about the proteins that lie at their heart.
By studying tiny slivers of tissue taken from the brain, Professor Grant and colleagues at Edinburgh University identified 1,461 synapse proteins, and then linked them to conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, to autism, learning difficulties and addictions.
The synapse proteins were ‘at centre stage of a large range of human diseases affecting many millions of people’, Professor Grant said.
He said: ‘In some cases, the proteins acting at the synapse are absolutely vital to the whole nature of the disease.
‘In the case of Alzheimer’s, it is well recorded that the brain shrinks because of the loss of nerve cells. But what has become apparent is that the synapses rot away before the nerve cells.’
The finding that the same proteins are involved in many diseases could lead to multi-condition treatments. Finding a new use for an existing drug would be much quicker than developing one from scratch. ‘We also can see ways to develop new genetic diagnostic tests and ways to help doctors classify the brain diseases,’ said Professor Grant.
The study also showed synapse proteins have changed little over evolution – perhaps because they are so vital to health.
Jeffrey Noebels, professor of neurology, neuroscience and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S., said: ‘We now have a comprehensive molecular list of more than 1,000 suspects.
‘Every seventh protein in this line-up is involved in a known clinical disorder and over half of them are repeat offenders.’
The data gives ‘a front row seat to witness neuroscience unravel the complexity of human brain disorders,’ he added.
Professor Jonathan Seckl, of the Queen’s Medical Research Institute in Edinburgh, said: ‘This splendid collaborative study is a major step forward which will illuminate the causes of many of the major mental health and neurological disorders as well as indicating new ways to develop treatments.’
Explore more:
- Places:
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- Edinburgh University
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The drug companies are probably paying for this research in order to get a drug that can mimic the results seen from turmeric, which reduces the amyloid protein plaques associated with Alzheimers, Parkinson's, etc. If they could patent turmeric, and vitimin D, which together have done so much to change peoples lives, then I suspect that this research would not need to be done.
- Andy, UK, 20/12/2010 12:50
People, calm down, do you still believe their miracle discoveries? How often do you read that here every week.... and does anything ever change? Not really, come on..... And do they do the more simple things like not allowing stuff like MSG and Aspartame in our food? And many chemicals? No, but once you get ill they will find a wonder drug to treat you. Come on.... wake up and get real information! There are things you can do to try to protect yourself, maybe it will be too late but you can at least try but you have to go after the answer yourself, they won't do it for you!
- Francisca, France, 20/12/2010 12:22
Terrific news, let's hope those suffering benefit from this research asap .
We should be pumping money into this type of research NOW to give patients and carers a glimmer of hope against these terrible diseases . The sooner treatment is found the sooner the country itself will benefit too , by reducing Care costs.
- Sandra, Gloucester, 20/12/2010 11:09
I have been paying attention to Alzheimers treatments for the past decade after my father got it... a month hasn't gone by since then that hasn't had a new breakthrough... yet still the same thing is given to patients - thrown in a care home to rot and die.
- Jeff, London, 20/12/2010 10:34
The rampant cynicism that pervades these comments about a magnificent medical breakthrough says all that needs to be said about public confidence in the British government. Their lies, cheating and personal greed has contaminated every corner of our lives. They have broken every commitment, wrecked public confidence and the current crop of Lab/Lib/Con are totally unfit for purpose.
- Fred Forsythe not the, Worcestershire, 20/12/2010 09:54
After the formula is sold to some company abroad, how long will we have to wait, and at what cost, will we be able to access it in the UK?
- Derek Jones, Stoke on Trent., 20/12/2010 09:19
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Monday, 20 December 2010
'Potential drug gold-rush!' Scientists unveil 100s new proteins key to brain health | Mail Online
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