Dr. Weihong Song, member of the Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital and VCH
Dr. Weihong Song, researcher with the Brain Research Centre at Vancouver Coastal Health and UBC has identified the molecule that controls a scissor-like protein responsible for the production of plaques in the brain – a telltale sign of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The molecule, known as GSK3-beta, activates a series of events resulting in amyloid beta production; these molecular fragments form tiny fibers that clump together into plaques, eventually killing neural cells.
Previous research has shown that GSK3-beta also spurs the growth of twisted fibers inside neurons, known as tangles, which are another hallmark of AD. This one protein is therefore now identified as playing a role in two key links to the disease. This discovery by Dr. Song will mean heightened interest in pursuing this protein as a dual target for drug therapies.
In his research, Dr. Song, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer’s disease and professor of psychiatry at UBC, found that disabling GSK3-beta’s effect in mice resulted in far fewer deposits of amyloid in their brains. His study also found that mice who’s GSK3-beta was blocked performed better than untreated mice on memory tests.
While this discovery is very exciting to Alzheimer’s disease researchers, it is important to note that even though GSK3-beta plays a destructive role in AD, it is also a versatile enzyme that controls many vital functions in the body. As a result, inhibiting the molecule could cause several serious side effects, including cancer.
In order to develop a targeted AD treatment, more research is required into the specific molecular mechanisms of GSK3-beta to specifically knock out only the deadly functions.
Dr. Song’s work was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on December 3, 2012. For a full version of the media release click here.