Gene Linked to Aging May Contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease

It is generally accepted that Alzheimer’s Disease is triggered by damage resulting from amyloid plaques that amass in the brain.  Leonard Guarente, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Massachusetts, USA),  and colleagues have found that the gene previously implicated n the aging process, SIRT1, appears to control production of the devastating protein fragments, known as A-beta peptides, that make up amyloid plaques. The team also demonstrated that in mice engineered to develop Alzheimer’s plaques and symptoms, learning and memory deficits were improved when SIRT1 was overproduced in the brain, and exacerbated when SIRT1 was deleted. The researchers conclude that: “Our findings indicate SIRT1 activation is a viable strategy to combat [Alzheimer’s Disease] and perhaps other neurodegenerative diseases.”