DALLAS: A healthy brain is powered by trillions of synapses – the dynamic connections where neurons exchange information with one another as we experience the world around us. This process, known as synaptic plasticity, serves as the foundation for learning and memory.
For some time, researchers have known that neurodegenerative disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease disrupt synaptic plasticity by causing the formation of plaques and tangles in the brain. But little has been understood about exactly how this happens, and even less on how to treat it.
Now, results from a new report are showing that a group of investigators has discovered a key mechanism – involving the proteins PTEN and beta-amyloid – in Alzheimer’s disease-related memory loss.
“The PTEN gene normally functions to limit cell growth. So, when you inhibit PTEN gene function cells it increases growth, which can have negative consequences such as causing cancer and autism,” explains Bryan Luikart, PhD, an assistant professor of physiology and neurobiology at the Geisel School of Medicine…