In what seems like a potential for a future breakthrough, a research team at the University of California unveiled a new possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
In their findings, first publicized in the Journal of Proteome Research, the research team suggested that the unhealthy plaque buildup in the brain said to be associated with neurodegeneration may simply be the result of the cells’ slowing ability to clean themselves.
Although buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles arising from tau protein are purportedly hallmark indications of Alzheimer’s, it is also considered that a sizable percentage of people with such plaques do not develop dementia. This led to the research team’s intricate examination of tau protein.
“Herein, we reanalyzed DIA data originally recorded for global proteomic analysis to look for isomerized peptides, which occur as a result of spontaneous chemical modifications to long-lived proteins,” according to the study.
“These results suggest, but do not conclusively demonstrate, that lower autophagic flux may be strongly associated with loss of function in AD brains.”
“This study illustrates that DIA data may contain unforeseen results of interest and may be particularly useful for pilot studies investigating new research directions. In this case, a promising target for future investigations into the therapy and prevention of AD has been identified,” the authors also inferred in their findings.
