Scientists have discovered a chemical which prevents the death of brain tissue in neurodegenerative diseases and is being proclaimed a “turning point” in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite the promising discovery, scientists say the creation of a treatment using the chemical is still far from happening and more work is needed. The chemical was tested on mice suffering from Prion disease, the animal equivalent of neurodegenerative disease to Alzheimer’s, and showed all brain cell death could be prevented.
Giovanna Mallucci, the leader of the team responsible for the discovery, told The Independent newspaper that it was “a real step forward”.
“It’s the first time a substance has been given to mice that prevents brain disease. The fact that this is a compound that can be given orally, gets into the brain and prevents brain disease is a breakthrough in itself,” she said.
Roger Morris, from King’s College London, told BBC News: “I’m very excited; it’s the first proof in any living animal that you can delay neurodegeneration”.
“The world won’t change tomorrow, but this is a landmark study,” Morris stated.
The study, published recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was carried out at the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester in the UK.
