New drug target for Alzheimer's identified

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 1, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease have identified a potential new way to stop brain cell death related to Alzheimer's disease.

Working with cell cultures, the scientists investigated how amyloid beta proteins -- which build up in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer's disease -- kill neurons. The cell cultures were established from brain tissue of laboratory rats.

Study findings showed amyloid beta could be prevented from causing neuronal cell death with a compound called resveratrol, which is also found as a natural ingredient in red wine.

"Our study suggests that resveratrol and related compounds may protect against neuronal loss associated with Alzheimer's disease," said senior author Li Gan, a staff research investigator at San Francisco institute and an assistant professor of neurology at UCSF. "This could certainly open up new avenues for drug development."

The research is reported in the Dec. 2 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

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