Computational model to examine Alzheimer's pathways in young adults created.Byline: ANI Washington, Apr 19 (ANI): Scientists at University of Virginia have developed a computational model to examine the role of certain proteins in the development of Familial Alzheimer's disease familial Alzheimer's disease n. An inherited form of Alzheimer's disease caused by a defect on a particular chromosome. (FAD), which affects people as young as 30. Biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. engineers Lydia S. Glaw and Thomas C. Skalak, Ph.D., of the Department of Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering An interdisciplinary field in which the principles, laws, and techniques of engineering, physics, chemistry, and other physical sciences are applied to facilitate progress in medicine, biology, and other life sciences. , University of Virginia, Charlottesville, constructed the model to measure plaques and tangles and their influence in causing FAD. The model tested the hypothesis that certain variables-genetic mutations in proteins and "tau" tangles-might be predicative of the development of the disease. The model is a first-of-its-kind approach to modelling, understanding and predicting Alzheimer's pathways. One of the biggest hypotheses tested by the model was the idea that GSK GSK GlaxoSmithKline plc (pharmaceutical company) GSK Glycogen Synthase Kinase GSK Gruppentraining Sozialer Kompetenzen (Germany) GSK Greenland Shark (FAO fish species code) 3 is a link between amyloid beta buildup and tau tangle development. The researchers studied the proteins presenilin-1 (PS1) (a mutated gene found in familial AD) and glycogen synthase glycogen synthase n. An enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to glycogen. kinase (GSK-3) and amyloid beta (AEi) plaque, to quantitatively examine their roles in the development of Alzheimer's pathology. The elements were applied to the model, which was constructed of kinetic equations developed from literature searches, and analysed the interactions of the proteins and complexes under various scenarios. The researchers found that GSK3 had a large effect on tangle formation, but very little on the plaques. Also, activating GSK3 was not found to be sufficient to cause changes in the brain to the extent seen in Alzheimer's patients. However, overproduction o·ver·pro·duce tr.v. o·ver·pro·duced, o·ver·pro·duc·ing, o·ver·pro·duc·es To produce in excess of need or demand. o of GSK3 as opposed to activation could lead to those changes. Besides there was no link found between amyloid beta plaque and tau tangles. They concluded that no single change to the system could cause Alzheimer's disease; instead it was caused by multiple changes, such as a PS1 mutation combined with GSK3 over-activation. They suggested that a multi-pronged approach to treating the disease may be best. The findings will be presented at the 122nd Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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