Using LED Light and Photosensitizers to Treat Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease starts when a protein called beta-amyloid is created and deposited in a patient's brain. This protein harms the brain cells by inducing the degradation of brain functions, for example, dementia. If beta-amyloid creation can be suppressed at an early stage, the formation of amyloid deposits will stop, and this could prevent Alzheimer's disease or halt its progression.

Researchers have now found a novel way to prevent this abnormal assembly of beta-amyloid by using blue LED lights and photosensitizers. This technique was tested on fruit flies.

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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

‘In a breakthrough discovery, researchers used blue LED lights and photosensitizers to prevent the abnormal assembly of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. They hope to find new ways to treat neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease.’

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One of the lead researchers Chan Beum Park from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, South Korea, said, "This work has significance as it was the first case to use light and photosensitizers to stop deposits of beta-amyloids."

This research finding suggests new ways to treat neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease.

The study was published online in Angewandte Chemie.

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