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Protein Abnormality Found - New Study Released This Week

© Karen Largent

Research into the causes of Alzheimer's has taken giant strides in the last year alone. More and more research is finding abnormalities of various human proteins and genes. This important research is hopefully leading up to what one day may be a vaccine and/or better drugs to control the devastating effects of this brain wasting disease. This week a new study reports another abnormality that may play an important role in the early and late stages of AD.

Researchers at Brown University have discovered an abnormality in a brain protein. The protein called agrin is found in the nervous system normally and is also present in the abnormal plaques or deposits that form in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers.

Agrin helps in the development of our nervous systems and the new research shows it may also be involved in the development of the connection of nerve cells in our brains. The very cells that are damaged by the senile plaques found in Alzheimer's.

In previous research, it has been shown that agrin contributes to development of the connection between nerve and muscle cells. Agrin causes "clustering" of neurotransmitter receptors on the muscle cell, to ensure proper communication with the nervous system.

The study was conducted on brain tissue that had been donated to the Brown University Brain Bank. You can read more about donation of brain tissue after death by reading the following article on brain donation that I wrote in January.

The agrin study was conducted with funding from the National Institutes of Health or the NIH

The full text of the news release on this study about the protein agrin can be read by clicking Here.

I hope this information is not too technical for you. I often find it difficult myself to decipher all these studies but I do think that all research is important and should be presented to you.

Canadian Alzheimer Events The Alzheimer Association of Canada maintains a comprehensive calendar of events for caregivers and professionals alike.

Events are detailed from now through November 1999 and also information on the World Congress on Gerontology to be held in Vancouver, BC in 2001. These events are not for medical professionals exclusively.

Bookmark their page and check it often to see if there is an event to be held near you that may be of interest.

I will present from time to time, calendars of events for all areas in the US, Europe and Canada as a service to all readers.