Each year, 225,000 people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers around the world are studying treatment options. Like in Montpellier, where two scientists discovered a protein that could advance Alzheimer’s care, reveals 20 Minutes.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by short-term memory problems at first, which get worse later on. Then come behavioral disorders, difficulties in communicating, concentrating and spatio-temporal disorientation. It mainly affects the elderly and currently has no way of being cured.
Eric Kremer, researcher at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, and Tangui Maurice, researcher at the Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementias laboratory, obtained funding of 361,600 euros from the Foundation for Medical Research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.
gene transfer
Their search led to a protein that goes by the name Nav1.1. The more the brain produces, the more it would prevent the abnormalities caused by Alzheimer’s. This is at least the observation that has been made on mice. The goal? Inserting the protein-producing gene into the brains of patients solves the main problem of Alzheimer’s: restoring neurotransmission.
The scientists explained the functioning of the protein which, by allowing sodium ions to pass between the outside and the inside of the cell, helped to improve its functioning and that of the neurons. And therefore promote neurotransmission.
This is only the beginning of the study. But which feeds many hopes, especially since in December 2019, the Council of State announced the delisting of four drugs against Alzheimer’s disease due to insufficient medical service.
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