A new study from Japan shows dopamine may help reduce Alzheimer’s disease symptoms by increasing neprilysin, an enzyme that dissolves harmful brain plaques. This finding, proven effective in mice, could transform treatment approaches if applicable to humans. Credit: SciTechDaily.
com Japanese researchers have discovered that dopamine treatment could alleviate Alzheimer’s symptoms by promoting the production of neprilysin, an enzyme that breaks down harmful brain plaques. This breakthrough in mice models offers potential for a new treatment approach if replicated in human trials, emphasizing the importance of dopamine in managing the disease and opening new avenues for research. A new way to combat Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered by Takaomi Saido and his team at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) in Japan.
Using mice with the disease, the researchers found that treatment with dopamine could alleviate physical symptoms in the brain as well as improve memory. Published today (August 6) in the scientific journal Science Signaling , the study examines dopamine’s role in promoting the production of neprilysin, an enzyme that can break down the harmful plaques in the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. If similar results are found in human clinical trials, it could lead to a fundamentally new way to treat the disease.
(Top) Schematic of the Alzheimer’s disease model mouse brain. Green dots represent amyloid-beta plaques. (Bottom) Experimental.