Scientists 'Switch Off' Brain Cell Death In Mice

fishmike sends this excerpt from a Reuters report: "Scientists have figured out how to stop brain cell death in mice with brain disease and say their discovery deepens understanding of the mechanisms of human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. British researchers writing in the journal Nature (abstract) said they had found a major pathway leading to brain cell death in mice with prion disease, the mouse equivalent of Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (CJD). ... Mallucci's team found that the buildup of mis-folded proteins in the brains of mice with prion disease activated a natural defense mechanism in cells, which switches off the production of new proteins. This would normally switch back on again, the researchers explained, but in these ill mice the continued build-up of misshapen proteins keeps the switch turned off. This is the trigger point leading to brain cell death, because key proteins essential for cell survival are not made. By injecting a protein that blocks the "off" switch, the scientists were able to restore the production of the survival proteins and halt the neurodegeneration."

Comments

I for one welcome our new rodent overlords

[SirGarlon]

First we had mice with enhanced brain development. Now, immortality! If those two research teams ever cross-breed their lab animals it will be like Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

Re:I for one welcome our new rodent overlords

[BagOBones]

I was thinking it is more like the plot to The Secret of NIMH

Re:I for one welcome our new rodent overlords

[SirGarlon]

Yeah, I thought of that too. :-) Slightly off-topic, but you should check out the book; I think it is considerably better than the movie.

Interesting...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Any word, as yet, on what eventually happens to the cells thus saved from early death?

Obviously, having your neurons die isn't a win; but the buildup of malformed proteins that started the shutdown process is presumably still developing if you bring protein synthesis back online.

Are the malformed proteins not a serious issue, so long as the spurious shutdown signal is ignored, or do they eventually hose the cell as well?

Re:Interesting...

[ColdWetDog]

Any word, as yet, on what eventually happens to the cells thus saved from early death?

Hard to say. It's a complicated, limited, experimental model using a fairly aggressive prion (infection to death in 12 weeks) so ringing this out to the slower neurodegenerative diseases in humans is a bit of stretch and likely limited by a number of caveats. They did find a 'window' of ability to rescue the cells - after around 9 weeks the rescue didn't work. But it did increase 'survival' in the mice so it's possible that it would have a clinically useful improvement in other similar diseases (assuming lots of things).

Remember, Prion disease in humans tends to be a very slow process. Timing could well be reflected in different mechanisms. Or not. This is really just an opening wedge rather than a robust look into the process.

Re:Interesting...

[Daetrin]

"Any mouse neurodevelopmental geneticists in the audience?"

Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak squeakums. Squeak squeak squeaker squeak!

Re:There for a reason

[sideslash]

It seems like cell immortality basically equals cancer elsewhere in the body. Maybe since brain cells are not orginarily regenerated, longevity won't cause a direct problem?