{"id":13165,"date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=13165"},"modified":"2022-06-08T10:31:53","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T08:31:53","slug":"stressed-cells-offer-hints-to-new-dementia-treatments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/2022\/06\/07\/stressed-cells-offer-hints-to-new-dementia-treatments\/","title":{"rendered":"Stressed cells offer hints to new dementia treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A newly discovered mechanism suggests that when stressed, neurons can eliminate the toxic protein tangles seen in Alzheimer\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Triggering a stress response in neurons may help to unravel the damaging tangled proteins that build up in the brains of people with neurodegenerative conditions, a study carried out at the University of Cambridge has found. <\/p>\n\n

The finding could lead to innovative new treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s, if researchers are able to identify drugs that repeat the effect, they say. <\/p>\n\n

Damage is often caused to the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s, due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins that break free and clump together in the brain. It was previously believed that once these protein aggregates form, it is nearly impossible to clear them. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Illustration of the protein aggregates (brown) that clump together on neurons (blue) in some neurodegenerative diseases <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

To make their discovery, the team focused their attention on a structure found within many cells called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER produces around one-third of a cell\u2019s proteins, allows for their movement around a cell, and can also alter them by folding. <\/p>\n\n

The team initially suspected that stressing the ER by heating it to 43\u00b0C would trigger it to produce more proteins which would lead to more misfolding and greater buildups. What they found was the opposite. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe found that stressing the cells actually eliminated the aggregation\u201d <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\u201cJust like when we get stressed by a heavy workload, so too can cells get \u2018stressed\u2019 if they\u2019re called upon to produce a large amount of proteins,\u201d said Dr Edward Avezov, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and one of the authors of the study. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe were astonished to find that stressing the cells actually eliminated the [aggregation] \u2013 not by degrading them or clearing them out, but by unravelling the aggregates, potentially allowing them to refold correctly. If we can find a way of awakening this mechanism without stressing the cells \u2013 which could cause more damage than good \u2013 then we might be able to find a way of treating some dementias,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

One particular compound found to aid the unravelling was a protein called HSP, which responds to increases in heat. This understanding, Avezov said, may explain why people in Scandinavian countries who regularly use saunas may be at lower risk of developing dementia. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cOne possible explanation for this is that this mild stress triggers a higher activity of HSPs, helping correct tangled proteins,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

DEMENTIA IN THE UK <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to the Alzheimer\u2019s Society, there are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia. <\/strong>It mainly affects people over the age of 65 but the likelihood of developing the disease increases significantly with age. Currently, around 1 in 14 people aged over 65 <\/strong>are living with dementia. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This rises to 1 in 6 for people aged over 80. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

IMAGE: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A newly discovered mechanism suggests that when stressed, neurons can eliminate the toxic protein tangles seen in Alzheimer\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":13163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"22","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"22","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_22-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_22-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"June-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"June-2022","purple_external_id":"June-2022-22-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"June-2022-22-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000089654||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000089654||","purple_android_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue378","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue378","purple_ios_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue378","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue378","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"0f422ad1-c939-476d-9f82-a410052ad4c3","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-06-07T14:37:38Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"53e3ec06-1aa0-4308-9247-8409c9cdbf76","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-06-08T08:31:59Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AU-PsBhqgQwiSR4QJyc2_dg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[25],"tags":[15],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21.jpg",1268,1335,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21-285x300.jpg",285,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21-768x809.jpg",768,809,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21-973x1024.jpg",800,842,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21.jpg",1268,1335,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/05\/209d8e4c-86f5-48cf-9850-bec262700d21.jpg",1268,1335,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A 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