How Alzheimer's Stops Correct Cell Division

Scientists have just discovered a new mechanism through which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is affecting the human brain. According to the study accompanying the findings, high concentrations of beta amyloid protein (BAP) are responsible for this.

BAP is a molecule that is produced in very large amounts in the body of people suffering from AD. It has numerous effects all on its own, but one of its influences when in high amounts is exerted on several cell-transport motors.

These structures are critical to the correct division of cells, but they tend to get clogged by elevated amounts of this protein. Abnormal cell division and defective neurons are the two most common problems with this, experts say.

The new investigation was carried out by experts from the University of South Florida (USF). They say that nerve cells produced via incorrect division are a trademark of Alzheimer's, PsychCentral reports.

“It’s kind of like throwing sand in the gears of the cell’s transport machinery. It keeps the wheels from moving, which interferes with the cell division cycle and ultimately leads to the production of degeneration-prone neurons seen in the Alzheimer’s disease brain,” says Sergiy Borysov, PhD.

The expert was also the first author of the new study, which is detailed in the latest online issue of the esteemed scientific journal Cell Cycle. Experts from the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, the Florida Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and Indiana University were also a part of the study.

“By identifying a brand new and extremely important target of the amyloid protein’s toxicity, we can develop drugs for Alzheimer’s disease that may protect the motors from inhibition and allow the brain to regenerate properly,” explains Huntington Potter, PhD.

The expert, who was the principal investigator of the work, holds an appointment as the Pfeiffer Endowed Chair professor of molecular medicine at the Alzheimer Disease Research Center.

This investigation also shows that the development of this neurodegenerative condition may be linked to the onset of a cascade of molecular events that is controlled by the BAP. These data can now be used to develop new therapies against the condition.

The reason why so much time and money are invested in developing a cure for Alzheimer's is the fact that the population of developed countries is aging. Taking care of this condition requires a lot of money, and soon the burden it places on public healthcare system will become unbearable.