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Molecules in plants may have beneficial
effect on Alzheimer's Disease
Newswise — A set of molecules found in
certain plants appears to have a beneficial
effect in brain tissue associated with
Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new
study conducted in mice.
The study was led by researchers at the
University of South Florida and Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center. An article in the Journal of
Cellular and Molecular Medicine is available
online.
Terrence Town, Ph.D., one of the senior
authors of the study, is available to
provide more information about this study.
He is a research scientist with the
departments of Neurosurgery and Biomedical
Sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and
with the hospital’s neurosurgical research
center, the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical
Institute.
Researchers administered molecules called
flavonoids, which are found in certain
fruits and vegetables, to a mouse model
genetically programmed to develop
Alzheimer’s disease.
Using two of these molecules, luteolin and
diosmin, they were able to reduce the levels
of a protein called amyloid-beta, which
forms the sticky deposits that build up in
the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.
The researchers also determined that these
molecules work by targeting a protein called
presenilin-1, which has long been linked to
Alzheimer’s as a genetic cause of this
devastating and untreatable illness.
The results may offer a new approach to
therapy for patients suffering from this
neurodegenerative illness, which is the most
common cause of dementia and is estimated to
affect more than five million people in the
United States.
“These flavonoids are widely available in
natural foods and it appears that they may
be used in purified form as therapeutic
agents. The compounds have few if any side
effects and are naturally occurring in
citrus fruits. They also can be found as
dietary supplements in health food stores,”
Town said.
Jun Tan, M.D., Ph.D., with the University of
South Florida Department of Psychiatry,
headed the study. Other authors are: Kavon
Rezai-Zadeh (first author), R. Douglas
Shytle, Ph.D., Yun Bai, M.D., Ph.D., Jun
Tian, M.D., Ph.D., Huayan Hou, M.D., Ph.D.,
Takashi Mori, D.V.M., Ph.D., Jin Zeng, M.D.,
and Demian Obregon.
The study was supported by the National
Institutes of Health and the Johnnie B. Byrd
Sr. Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute.
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