Harvard Medical School, US
For quite some time, doctors and scientists have acknowledged the presence of beta-amyloid (a sticky protein) buildup in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. What has remained unknown is whether the plaque was a cause of the disease, or merely a side effect. The fact that beta-amyloid buildup can be found in the brains of some non-Alzheimer's patients pointed to the latter.
However, in a recent study led by Dr. Ganesh M. Shankar and Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe of Harvard Medical School, rats injected with a specific form of the protein exhibited Alzheimer's symptoms. Meanwhile other rats, injected with different forms of beta-amyloid, showed no symptoms. Therefor it seems that a certain strain of beta-amyloid may in fact be a contributing cause of Alzheimer's, while other harmless strains are not.
In the constant struggle to understand this mysterious disease, such tiny clarifications are priceless. Understanding the exact cause of Alzheimer's may prove to be the key to finding a treatment, and now science is one step closer.
To find out more about the study, visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,370002,00.html
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