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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

"We have identified a new molecular mechanism which directly contributes to this synapse loss -- a discovery we hope could eventually lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease and new treatments."

The team studied a protein in the brain called neural cell adhesion molecule 2, or NCAM2 [sciencedaily.com] -- one of a family of molecules that physically connects the membranes of synapses and help stabilise these long lasting synaptic contacts between neurons.

The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Using post-mortem brain tissue from people with and without the condition, they discovered that synaptic NCAM2 levels in the part of the brain known as the hippocampus were low in those with Alzheimer's disease.

They also showed in mice studies and in the laboratory that NCAM2 was broken down by another protein called beta-amyloid, which is the main component of the plaques that build up in the brains of people with the disease.

Original Submission