Scientists have designed an enzyme inhibitor that could 'trick' the brain and treat Alzheimer's. One of the causes of neurodegeneration is modification of the 'tau' protein by phosphate. Usually the protein helps maintain the stability of neurones and causes them to form aggregates. However, this changes when the protein is modified.
The enzyme inhibitor, created by research teams in York (UK) and British Columbia (Canada), prevents the phosphorylation of tau in animal models by tricking the brain's own enzymes into installing a sugar on the tau in place of the detrimental phosphates. It is not yet a drug, but the scientists involved in the work believe that it is a major breakthrough in locating compounds that can cross the blood?brain barrier to elicit beneficial effects that prevent the onset of tauopathies. Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases are becoming a growing problem in western countries and there is an urgent need for new forms of treatment.
"We hope that this work will evolve into new drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease, although that is still many years off," says Professor Gideon Davies, who led the team at the University of York. "The work highlights the synergy of studying the chemistry of enzymes in living cells."
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