RESEARCHERS HAVE identified an enzyme which could prove crucial in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, it was revealed yesterday. They have found that the enzyme can partially reverse the process that leads to the development of abnormal formations in the brains of people with the condition.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease which, along with other dementias, affects 700,000 people in Britain alone.
The researchers from Dundee University, led by Dr Calum Sutherland, say the enzyme can partially reverse the process that causes the abnormal structures of a protein called CRMP2. This protein has a key role in the development of the tangles seen in the disease.
Dr Sutherland said that while the enzyme which causes the formation of abnormal structures had been known for some time, the discovery of an enzyme which can reverse the process is a breakthrough.
“If drugs could be developed that activate this, or associated enzymes, they should reverse the abnormal structure of CRMP2 and hopefully slow down the development of tangles in the brain,” he said, adding that, “We hope that drugs companies will take notice.”