Scientists on Wednesday said they had developed an experimental drug to combat Alzheimer’s that employs a double-pronged attack against a rogue protein fingered for causing the disease.The drug — still in clinical trials — is part of a class called gamma-secretase modulators. (GSM), but until now, very little was known as to why the molecule appears to work.
GSMs’ target is the accumulation of amyloid beta protein, which forms plaques in the brain and eventually leads to the tragic mind-wrecking disease, symptomised by forgetfulness and dementia.In a study published in the British journal Nature, a team of 29 US and European researchers found that GSMs had a remarkable dual role.The drugs not only reduced production of long pieces of amyloid beta that cluster together, but also increased production of short pieces of the same protein that prevent the longer pieces from sticking together.