'Small' Molecule To Block Key Protein Behind Brain Cholesterol

US researchers are reporting the discovery of a small molecule that could block a key protein involved in cholesterol formation in the brain. Aleksey G. Kazantsev, Ph.D., and colleagues at MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, previously discovered that blocking cholesterol formation in the brain could protect against some of the damage caused by chronic brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Several other studies have suggested that too much cholesterol may kill brain cells in similar neurodegenerative diseases. So they launched a search for a so-called “small molecules” — substances ideal for developing into medicines — capable of blocking formation of cholesterol.

After sifting through almost 390,000 chemical compounds, the MassGeneral team has since come up with the molecule that could disable SIRT2, a key protein involved in cholesterol production. The molecule successfully lowered cholesterol levels in isolated nerve cells and brain slices from mice. If the molecule proves to be a good target for developing new drugs, Kazabtse says, “it could have a broader application in other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, for which modulation of cholesterol and other associated metabolic pathways might be of therapeutic benefit.”

The findings are published in the journal, ACS Chemical Biology and chronicled in a new episode in the American Chemical Society’s award-winning “Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions” podcast series, now online.



Source-Medindia