Tel Aviv, Israel – A research team at Tel Aviv University has discovered a protein that has the ability to both protect brain cells from Alzheimer’s as well as rejuvenate cells already affected by the disease.
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TIMESOFISRAEL.com (http://bit.ly/1lzsvMH) reports that in a study which appears in the May edition of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Tel Aviv University’s Professor Illana Gozes explains how the protein, NAP, uses its abilities to protect cognitive function and heal compromised cells.
“NAP operates through the stabilization of microtubules – tubes within the cell which maintain cellular shape,” explains Gozes. “They serve as ‘train tracks’ for movement of biological material. In Alzheimer’s disease, these microtubules break down. The newly discovered protein fragments, just like NAP before them, work to protect microtubules, thereby protecting the cell.”
Gozes said the protein has seen initial success with mice, and that her team’s discovery might well lead to the development of drugs capable of treating Alzheimer’s.