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'Rogue' Protein Spread Key to Alzheimer's

Discovery casts light on tangles found in brains of disease sufferers

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 8, 2009 8:29 AM CDT

(Newser) – A protein linked to Alzheimer’s can run amok in the brain, affecting healthy tissue, scientists have found. All nerve cells contain the tau protein, but a “rogue form” can lead to protein clumps in cells, called neurofibrillary tangles, that are believed to play a major role in Alzheimer’s disease, the BBC reports. The protein can spread, but that doesn’t mean the disease is contagious.

“This greater understanding of how tangles spread in Alzheimer's may lead to new ways of stopping them and defeating the disease,” said an expert.

The Tau protein is found in all nerve cells.
The Tau protein is found in all nerve cells.   (Shutterstock)
The protein can spread in the brain, researchers have found.
The protein can spread in the brain, researchers have found.   (Shutterstock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
kokuaguy
Jun 9, 2009 6:10 AM CDT
Well, isn't it great meeting all those new people constantly? And you get to hear so many jokes that you never heard before?
SBS
Jun 8, 2009 10:02 AM CDT
The advances made by science are amazing. Hopefully they will be able to do something to prevent and/or cure this horrible disease.
cfbailey
Jun 8, 2009 2:06 AM CDT
I forgot what I was going 2 say

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