Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer’s disease

A team of scientists has identified the “seed” of a protein believed to trigger Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery boosting hope for the development of a new therapy for the neurodegenerative condition.

Researchers widely believe that, in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, fragments of protein called amyloid beta slowly build up and form clumps, which eventually kill nerve cells and cause declines in cognitive functions. But many questions remain on exactly how the brain starts accumulating the protein.

In a study published Monday in Brain Communications, a team of researchers led by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) in Tokyo said they found a “seed” that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process, naming it “Peak 1 amyloid beta.”