A new study by scientists in the United States may be the beginning of the development of a new type of treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The publication, made in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics, indicates a Relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, constantly waking up during the night would be one of the first signs of the development of the disease, which can appear years before the others.
However, what the researchers did not yet know was how the syndrome and the symptom were linked on a physiological level. Therefore, Jennifer Hurley, author of the study, proposed to further investigate the case using cells in the laboratory.
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Unraveling the mechanisms of the disease
Before any information, it is necessary to know that, in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer's, there is an accumulation of a certain protein called beta-amyloid. This substance may even be associated with the onset and worsening of the disease.
However, what scholars have been able to observe is that there is an immune cell in our body capable of eliminating these foreign bodies. In addition, this brain defender cell works in a circadian rhythm, that is, at specific times of the day.
Furthermore, the scientists also realized that immune cells promoted the degradation of beta-amylase through the action of heparan sulfate proteoglycan. This molecule is responsible for controlling inflammatory processes in our body.
New therapeutic perspectives
The research results generate new treatment perspectives for the disease. Since, if it is possible, for example, to maintain the daily levels of protein purification through this mechanism, the progression of the disease can be governed.
“Understanding how our circadian rhythms may regulate cell-surface heparan levels to control beta-amyloid accumulation could lead to the development of drugs that relieve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, as well as other inflammatory diseases", says Hurley, in a note published in the journal scientific.