Studies Show Protein, Reelin, Protects Brain Against Alzheimer’s, Aging
Researchers conducting separate studies published last year all determined that reelin, a protein that helps maintain memory and thinking in the brain, may also protect this important organ from diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s. The researchers also found that if levels of reelin decrease, the vulnerability of neurons increases.
Professor Li-Huei Tsai of MIT stated that increasing evidence had shown that reelin acted as a protector of the brain. Tsai is also the director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.
The studies have inspired efforts to develop medications that help reelin function better or boost its levels as a way to prevent cognitive decline. Reelin’s popularity increased last year, after one study involving a Colombian man found that he didn’t develop Alzheimer’s despite being predisposed to it. The man in question came from a large family that carried paisa, a rare gene variant. Members of families who inherit this gene variant almost certainly develop Alzheimer’s when they hit middle age.
Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear’s Dr. Joseph Arboleda-Velasquez stated that members of this family began experiencing cognitive decline in their 40s, then develop dementia in their late 40s to early 50s. Unlike his family members, this man’s cognitive function remained intact into his late 60s. He wasn’t even diagnosed with dementia until he was past the age of 70.
The man died at 74, with an autopsy revealing that his brain was full of sticky amyloid plaques, which indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s. Researchers also found tau, which are tangled fibers that can damage neurons. This is another sign of Alzheimer’s. Surprisingly, these tangles weren’t present in the entorhinal cortex, which plays a role in memory. This was odd, especially since this region is among the first ones to be impacted by Alzheimer’s.
For their study, the researchers observed the man’s genome and determined that he carried a variant of the gene that manufactured reelin. Research involving mice determined that this particular variant improves the protein’s ability to decrease tau tangles.
These findings being published increased reelin’s popularity in the research world. The team of researchers under Tsai, who had already been studying the protein, then published its own findings. In their report, the researchers explained that they had observed that individuals who maintained higher cognitive function as they got older had more neurons that produced reelin.
Last month, the researchers published their study offering additional evidence to back their reelin hypothesis. In the latest study, the scientists conducted a detailed analysis of post-mortem brains from 48 individuals. They found that some of these individuals’ brains were full of amyloid plaques, observing that their entorhinal cortexes were also protected from tau tangles. This is similar to the brain of the Colombian man.
Efforts are underway by many companies, such as Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS), to develop drugs that target the proteins which have been found to be pivotal in neurodegeneration and the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. As these treatments enter the market, thousands or even millions of patients could benefit.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ANVS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Researchers conducting separate studies published last year all determined that reelin, a protein that helps maintain memory and thinking in the brain, may also protect this important organ from diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s. The researchers also found that if levels of reelin decrease, the vulnerability of neurons increases.
Professor Li-Huei Tsai of MIT stated that increasing evidence had shown that reelin acted as a protector of the brain. Tsai is also the director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.
The studies have inspired efforts to develop medications that help reelin function better or boost its levels as a way to prevent cognitive decline. Reelin’s popularity increased last year, after one study involving a Colombian man found that he didn’t develop Alzheimer’s despite being predisposed to it. The man in question came from a large family that carried paisa, a rare gene variant. Members of families who inherit this gene variant almost certainly develop Alzheimer’s when they hit middle age.
Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear’s Dr. Joseph Arboleda-Velasquez stated that members of this family began experiencing cognitive decline in their 40s, then develop dementia in their late 40s to early 50s. Unlike his family members, this man’s cognitive function remained intact into his late 60s. He wasn’t even diagnosed with dementia until he was past the age of 70.
The man died at 74, with an autopsy revealing that his brain was full of sticky amyloid plaques, which indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s. Researchers also found tau, which are tangled fibers that can damage neurons. This is another sign of Alzheimer’s. Surprisingly, these tangles weren’t present in the entorhinal cortex, which plays a role in memory. This was odd, especially since this region is among the first ones to be impacted by Alzheimer’s.
For their study, the researchers observed the man’s genome and determined that he carried a variant of the gene that manufactured reelin. Research involving mice determined that this particular variant improves the protein’s ability to decrease tau tangles.
These findings being published increased reelin’s popularity in the research world. The team of researchers under Tsai, who had already been studying the protein, then published its own findings. In their report, the researchers explained that they had observed that individuals who maintained higher cognitive function as they got older had more neurons that produced reelin.
Last month, the researchers published their study offering additional evidence to back their reelin hypothesis. In the latest study, the scientists conducted a detailed analysis of post-mortem brains from 48 individuals. They found that some of these individuals’ brains were full of amyloid plaques, observing that their entorhinal cortexes were also protected from tau tangles. This is similar to the brain of the Colombian man.
Efforts are underway by many companies, such as Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS), to develop drugs that target the proteins which have been found to be pivotal in neurodegeneration and the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. As these treatments enter the market, thousands or even millions of patients could benefit.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ANVS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
