Protein thought to be link to aging diseases

Thu, June 14, 2007

By GLYNNIS MAPP, SUN MEDIA



Scientists believe a breakthrough discovery could help them better understand and eventually treat "one of the worst aging diseases."

Dr. Michael Strong, a clinical neurology professor at the University of Western Ontario, unveiled a new protein at an annual conference.

He said yesterday the discovery will help clarify the symptoms of nerve-destroying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The protein, TDP-43, is a key player in the facilitation of riboneuclaic acid, which carries genetic instructions to the body's motor neurons.

Lou Gehrig's disease affects the nerves in the brain, affecting the cells controlling voluntary muscle activities such as speaking, walking and breathing. It often causes paralysis.

Strong said the disease's progression is much like a neurological game of broken telephone.

"Think of your cells like building a house," he said. "It's as if the suppliers gave you 2x4 planks to build the outer walls when you asked for 2x6. They don't fit. "

Strong said these "suppliers," or riboneuclaic acid, give instructions like blueprints to motor neurons to build protein in the body.

"Your genes send the wrong messages and the random dysregulation of this information to produce the wrong proteins," he said. "We've now found the protein that may contribute to this blockage."

His new findings appear in the June issue of the scientific journal Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience.

Of the three main age-related diseases affecting Canadians -- Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease -- Strong said the latter is the most aggressive.

The ALS Society of Canada says about 3,000 Canadians live with the illness.

In discovering the TDP-43 protein, researchers also believe they may have found a key to unlocking why some people experience dementia

Strong hopes a $250,000 research project will lead to gene therapy treatment.

"This means a lot to the people who are suffering with the disease and their families," he said. "Now, we're just one step closer to understanding the connection between ALS symptoms and and other diseases."

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