CSIRO scientists announce Alzheimer's disease breakthrough

EurekAlert
Rapid screening system may lead to prevention or delay of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia
Astrid Engelen
The Netherlands – Australian scientists at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), have developed a new system to screen for compounds that can inhibit one of the processes that takes place during the progression of Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. In a paper published in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, folate is shown to be beneficial in the screening system.

Lead author, CSIRO's Dr Ian Macreadie says folate is already well known to have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease, which is believed to be caused by the loss of neurons in the brain due to a process whereby toxic multimers of a small protein called Aβ are formed.

"However, a team of scientists working within CSIRO's Preventative Health Flagship has discovered a......read the whole story

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