Memory loss may be reversible according to a team from the University College London, published recently in the journal Current Biology, where they identified the roles of two distinct proteins in the brain and how they function in Alzheimer’s disease.
Memory loss may be reversible and preventable
The research team named two particular proteins found in the brain simply named Wnt and Dkk1.
Wnt plays a role called Wnt signalling that stimulates formation and development of synapses, while Dkk1 is the protein that blocks Wnt signalling as it binds in the Wnt receptors of a neuron.
Wnt signalling also plays a crucial role in strengthening communication processes between neurons that take place in the synapse.
Numerous researches point to evidence that elevated levels of Dkk1 were found in the brains of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, including several post-mortem tests to prove consistency of their presence in the human brain.
Test shows very promising results
Tests on lab mice showed that increased levels of Dkk1 affected long-term memory among rats that were made to do some maze tests. The results also showed elevated levels of Dkk1 reduced the ability of communicate between neurons.
The researchers found out that once the Dkk1 is inhibited from allowing the Wnt signalling to communicate between neurons, it could help reverse of memory loss.
Further studies, however, are still going on to determine if this method could reverse the effects of brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease in the long run.
The team, however, believe that they are hopeful about new findings in the coming months with the ongoing study and points out that this is already a big milestone in Alzheimer’s disease research.
Hoping to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease
In a separate report published in the journal Nature, researchers from biotech company Biogen, show that an experimental drug that goes by the name aducanumab,was able to dramatically drop the amounts of toxic plaque in the brain of several Alzheimer’s patients.
A small number of patients received high doses of the experimental drug, with even more promising results that it may also slow down memory loss and cognitive abilities.
Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, points out that this development could be a ‘game-changer’ in Alzheimer’s disease research.
Reiman also suggests that since the test results were only from a handful of patients, he is looking forward to having more trials to make conclusive evidence that aducanumab would actually be effective against slowing down the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
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