Brain toxin 'is smoking gun'
2005-08-04 09:55
Sydney - Researchers announced on Thursday they have discovered a toxin that plays an important role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, giving rise to hopes that drugs might be able to slow the onslaught of dementia.
The toxin, called quinolinic acid, kills nerve cells in the brain and leads to brain dysfunction and ultimately death.
"Quinolinic acid may not be the cause of Alzheimer's disease but it plays a key role in its progression," said researcher Karen Cullen from the University of Sydney. "It's the smoking gun, if you like.
"While we won't be able to prevent people from getting Alzheimer's disease, we may eventually, with the use of drugs, be able to slow down the progression."
The team of researchers from St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and New South Wales universities and Hokkaido University in Japan said drugs trialled on stroke victims attack the pathway where the acid is made.
"There are several drugs which can block this pathway, which are already under investigation by our laboratory and others," said Gilles Guillemin, who is based at the Centre for Immunology at St Vincent's Hospital.
The drugs would need to be tested for efficacy in Alzeimer's, for which there is no cure.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia among older people. It seriously affects their ability to carry out daily activities, impairing parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language.