Researchers from University of New South Wales have identified a toxin that plays an important role in the progress of the disease of Alzheimer’s in the elderly population.
Researchers had found that there is existence of quinolinic acid neurotoxicity in the brains of patients with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This acid kills the nerve cells of the brain that leads to brain dysfunction and death.The research paper, which is, published in the current issue of international journal Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, says that activation of this toxin pathways are also seen in the cases of Huntington's disease, stroke, and schizophrenia. Quinolinic acid is a part of the biochemical pathway also known as kynurenine pathway.
Researchers feel that there are several drugs, which are currently being tested in the laboratories, which can block these neural pathways. The researchers however maintain that quinolinic acid is not the cause of the disease. It only increases the rate of progression of the disease.
Currently Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of the people above the age of 50 years across the globe and treatment for them is only minimally effective. The new research findings will be able to bring treatment that will be successful in keeping the progress of the disease in hold, and in turn will be able to help the numerous people in improving their quality of life.
Source: EurekAlert
Medindia on Alzheimer’s’ Disease: Further information
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Dementia: Dementia is a condition where the person is affected by impaired intellectual capability. Some signs of dementia are short-term memory loss, inability to do concrete or abstract reasoning, difficulty in concentration, inappropriate behavior in social situations etc. this is not a normal degeneration of cells due to age but an acquired condition.
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