AN ENZYME has been discovered which could lead to the development of drugs to reverse the onset of Alzheimer's disease, scientists revealed yesterday.
Scottish researchers have found that the enzyme can partially reverse the process that leads to the development of abnormal formations found in the brains of people with the condition.
Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease which, including other
dementias, currently affects 700,000 people in the UK.
The researchers from Dundee University, led by Dr Calum Sutherland, say the enzyme can partially reverse the process that causes the abnormal structures of a protein called CRMP2.
This protein has a key role in the development of the "tangles" seen in Alzheimer's disease.
Dr Sutherland said that while the enzyme which causes the formation of abnormal structures had been known for some time, the discovery of an enzyme which can reverse the process is a breakthrough.
He said: "If drugs could be developed that activate this, or associated enzymes, then they should reverse the abnormal structure and hopefully slow down the development of tangles in the brain.
"We hope that drugs companies will take notice of this and look to develop drugs capable of activating this enzyme, although we will also be looking at naturally occurring ways of activating it.
"This is a very important breakthrough, although it is important to stress that it is at an early stage."
Rebecca Wood, the chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which funded the study, said: "Findings like these are crucial to our understanding of Alzheimer's.
"A better understanding of the changes that occur in the brain at the onset of Alzheimer's, and how the disease progresses, could enable scientists to develop effective treatments for slowing or stopping the disease process."
The findings are contained in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Almost 60,000 people in Scotland are estimated to suffer from some form of dementia.
It affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.
By 2031, the number of sufferers in Scotland is set to exceed 100,000, leading to calls for action now to reduce the impact of what campaigners have called the "dementia epidemic".
