NEW YORK: Researchers say mice with Alzheimer’s disease-like symptoms showed improvement in memory tasks after being given the protein interleukin 33 (IL-33), which is thought to boost immune function.
They used mice bred to have Alzheimer’s-like symptoms to investigate whether injections of IL-33 into mice was able to reduce or reverse the symptoms of dementia.
People with Alzheimer’s have been found to have lower levels of IL-33. It is thought this could lead to the development of the abnormal clumps of proteins known as toxic beta-amyloid protein plaques, the characteristic hallmark of the condition.
Mice who received the protein had improved memory and brain function compared with the control group, as well as a reduction in beta-amyloid protein levels.
The study was carried out by researchers from a number of institutions, including the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Glasgow…