A scientific study published this Tuesday, August 5, 2014 in the journal PLoS Biology has just demonstrated the effectiveness of a molecule in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, on an animal model of a mouse.
TC-2153 is a molecule that has successfully inhibited the negative effects of tyrosine phosphatase (or STEP, an enzymatic protein), enriched in the striatum.
Indeed, a too high concentration of STEP protein damages the synaptic receptors (allowing communication between neurons), and thus prevents the transformation of the memory short term in long term memory. STEP therefore deteriorates the cognitive functions of Alzheimer’s patients.
Also, the new TC-2153 molecule made it possible to inhibit these harmful effects in affected mice, giving them cognitive test results similar to those of healthy mice.
“This small inhibitory molecule is the result of five years of effort to find an inhibitor of the STEP protein” explains Professor Paul Lombroso, co-author of the study.
This more than encouraging molecule will however have to prove itself on other animal models closer to humans before being eventually considered as therapeutic treatment. In short, a good start, but one that still implies a few years before ending with a drug.
Source:
Inhibitor of the Tyrosine Phosphatase STEP Reverses Cognitive Deficits in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease, Jian Xu, Manavi Chatterjee, Tyler D. Baguley, Jonathan Brouillette, Pradeep Kurup, Debolina Ghosh, Jean Kanyo, Yang Zhang, Kathleen Seyb, Chimezie Ononenyi, Ethan Foscue, George M. Anderson, Jodi Gresack, Gregory D. Cuny, Marcie A. Glicksman, Paul Greengard, TuKiet T. Lam, Lutz Tautz, Angus C. Nairn, Jonathan A. Ellman, Paul J. Lombroso
