CANBERRA (Dispatches) -- In a recencent study, scientists were able to decode the link between Alzheimer’s disease and a genetic variation, saying that it causes neurons to die.
Walter and Eliza Hall institute researchers used fruit flies to decipher an unexplained connection between Alzheimer’s disease and a genetic variation, revealing that it causes neurons to die.
The research team found a possible cause of neurodegeneration in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease , hence opening the door for the future development of new treatments for cognitive diseases.
They used a common model of neurodegenerative disease, the fruit fly, to explore potential connections between elevated TOMM40 gene levels and Alzheimer’s.The eyes of fruit flies contain cells called photoreceptors that are specialised neurons, making them ideal for research on neurodegeneration.They found that enriching the protein caused marked cell death in the retina, with the amount of degeneration corresponding to the level of the protein.
Over 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. There is no known cure for the disease, but early intervention can help prevent disease progression.