… “Scientists have hailed an historic “turning point” in the search for a medicine that could beat Alzheimer's disease, after a drug-like compound was used to halt brain cell death in mice for the first time…

….“The compound works by blocking a faulty signal in brains affected by neurodegenerative diseases, which shuts down the production of essential proteins, leading to brain cells being unprotected and dying off.
It was tested in mice with prion disease - the best animal model of human neurodegenerative disorders - but scientists said they were confident the same principles would apply in a human brain with debilitating brain diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

The study, published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was carried out at the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester.

…. In debilitating brain diseases, the production of new proteins in the brain is shut down by a build-up of “misfolded proteins” or amyloids.This build-up leads to an “over-activation” of a natural defence mechanism that stops essential proteins being produced. Without these proteins to protect them, brain cells die off - leading to the symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's...

The compound used in the study works by inhibiting an enzyme, known as PERK, which plays a key role in activating this defence mechanism. In mice with prion's disease, it restored proteins to protect brain cells “stopping the disease in its tracks”…

Note:
…Le composé connu sous le nom de laboratoire GSK2606414 (produit par la firme pharmaceutique britannique GlaxoSmithKline). (Agence France Presse)

The compound they are using is GlaxoSmithKline GSK2606414.
(GSK was the first Pharma to sign the AllTrials petition and go totally open source with their research).


First commentator says:
… The 'compound' they are working on is an extract of the spice turmeric, which helps to stop the build up of, and reduces, beta amyloid protein in the brain. Turmeric is cheap to buy….
Nothing to see here. Move along.