An Unlikely Stress Responder May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

According to a recent report in the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a protein that forms harmful aggregates in the body when produced in the liver protects against Alzheimer’s disease aggregates when it is produced in the brain. The results suggest drugs that can boost the protein’s production specifically in neurons could one day help ward off Alzheimer’s disease. The study centers on transthyretin (TTR), a protein that functions as a transporter, carrying the thyroid hormone thyroxine and vitamin A through the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid. TTR is known to be produced principally in the liver and in the parts of the brain where cerebrospinal fluid is made. “It’s becoming more and more evident in biology that the same molecule can do very different things in different contexts,” said Joel N. Buxbaum, MD, professor at TSRI. To learn more about the study, click here.