Way Found to Cut Amyloid Plaque Formation

U.S. scientists have found a way to reduce the formation of so-called amyloid plaque believed involved in both Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.

The researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook report discovering a potent new compound that reduces such formations.

Recent evidence has correlated increases in amyloid formation in the pancreas with increases in severity and rate of progression of type-2 diabetes. Researchers have been seeking ways to block formation of an abnormal, misfolded protein called islet amyloid polypeptide, or IAPP, which might play a key role in the diseases.

In the new study, researchers Daniel Raleigh, Andisheh Abedini and Fangli Meng found changing a single amino acid in human IAPP’s structure transformed it from one of the most potent amyloid-forming substances into a powerful inhibitor of amyloid formation.

In laboratory studies, they showed the mutant IAPP significantly reduced the amount of amyloid formed. The researchers said their finding also provides potentially important insights into the formation and treatment of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions.

The research appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.