Researchers link protein to death of brain cells
Researchers in Finland have identified a new molecular pathway which is involved in the death of brain cells and so is an important factor in neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's, epilepsy and strokes. The work, which is published online by the journal Nature Neuroscience, was carried out in the framework of the EU-funded STRESSPROTECT project, which is investigating the mechanisms through which the over-stimulation of brain cells leads to their death, a process known as excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity can affect many brain regions, and can be triggered by a number of events, including ischaemia, brain injury and other neurodegenerative conditions. Researchers know that the destruction of the cell by over-stimulation depends on the entry into the cell of large amounts of calcium. However, so far the details of how the calcium triggers the cell's self-destruction machinery have remained a mystery. In this latest study, the scientists looked at the role of a protein called Rho in the process. Rho belongs to a family of proteins which is able to affect signals relating to cell degeneration, and it is also known to be involved in cancer formation and the destruction of neurons in disease. The researchers found that over-stimulation of brain cells causes activation of Rho along with cell destruction levels. In contrast, blocking Rho activity kept the protein in an inactive state and allowed the nerve cells to survive levels of over-stimulation which were toxic when Rho was activated. 'These surprising findings add an entire pathway to the map of neurodegenerative signalling processes,' said Dr Michael Courtney of the University of Kuopio, Finland, one of the authors of the paper. 'This area of investigation could therefore offer novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.'
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