Enzyme found disrupting nerve cell communication in Alzheimer's disease
Monday, August 15, 2011 - 16:30
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have found that beta-amyloid-induced destruction of synapses -- connections that mediate communication between nerve cells -- is driven by a chemical modification to the enzyme Cdk5. This altered form of Cdk5 (SNO-Cdk5) was prevalent in human Alzheimer's disease brains, but not in normal brains, suggesting that SNO-Cdk5 could be targeted for the development of new Alzheimer's disease therapies.