Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland have identified a substance that can stop the progression of frontotemporal dementia. The research was published in the journal Science Translation Medicine.
It is currently believed that the formation of tau protein aggregates ultimately leads to neuronal death and the onset of dementia symptoms. In a new study, scientists showed that blocking the PREP enzyme reduces the accumulation of tau protein.
Scientists have proven the effectiveness of this approach in experiments on mice. Mice treated with the PREP blocker had normal cognition and at autopsy found less tau protein in their brains than mice without the preparative treatment.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect more than 50 million patients worldwide. Current treatments cannot stop or even slow the progression of the disease.
Previously, the authors showed that blocking the PREP enzyme reduces the accumulation of alpha-synuclein, a protein associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease.