Feelings of two researchers who found the benefit of amyloid β affecting Alzheimer's disease

It is related to Alzheimer's disease related to Alzheimer's disease "Amyloid β(Amyloid beta peptide) "was considered to be nothing more than harmful to date. However, the possibility that amyloid β plays an important role in protecting brain functions has become clear from the "strange coincidence" of two American researchers.

Brain's Ancient Immune System May Play A Role In Alzheimer's: Shots - Health News: NPR
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/02/18/580475245/scientists-explore-ties-between-alzheimers-and-brains-ancient-immune-system

For some time, there is a strong hypothesis that amyloid β (amyloid beta peptide) accumulates in the brain of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and makes large plaques (plaques) to kill brain cells, "amyloid β is bad for the brain It seems that it was a general perception of the medical community that things ".

Neuroscientists Robert Moier and Rudolf Tanzi from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard's largest medical research hospital, were taking a break at the same time of Friday afternoon in 2007. Mr. Heir said that he had devoted himself to reading articles on various fields so that one hour of Friday afternoon would be helpful for his creative research. Mr. Moir, who used to surf thesis online on that day, with Corona beer as one, resembles amyloid β, one of the antimicrobial peptides known as "LL-37", which is known to have a close relationship with Alzheimer's disease I felt like I was there. "LL-37 and amyloid β appeared to be two," Moir says.


Surprisingly, Mr. Tanzi, who was taking a break from the second corona beer in the same room at the same Massachusetts general hospital, also responded to the similarity of amyloid β, which is a cause of Alzheimer's disease, and antimicrobial peptide related to the immune system He seems to have noticed.

Mr. Tanzi, who felt that he was aware of the important thing, asked Mr. Moir's laboratory, "What do you think about the immune system of the brain?", Holding a corona beer in discussion with his colleague Moyer . Two people who were thinking about working like the immune system of amyloid β related to Alzheimer's disease at exactly the same timing said they started discussion at once. Two ideas are "If amyloid β is indispensable to the immune system known for a long time, if sticky amyloid β garbage protects the intruder from outside and protects the brain It is said that it was different from the medical sense at the time that it should be done? "

Their hypothesis was that "Amyloid β is like" pearls in oysters ". Oysters wrap with membranes called mother-of-pearls so that harmful sand and other things that are taken in do not hurt the cells. This is the pearl that crystallized foreign matter in the body with calcium carbonate. Mr. Moire and Mr. Tanzi wrapped the foreign substances invading the brain to detoxify foreign bodies, which are called sticky amyloid plaque by accumulating it as garbage, which is called Alzheimer's disease in the brain I thought that it could be seen.


Until then, Mr. Moir says that there was no idea that the idea that "amyloid β is bad, bad, bad, bad ... bad thing" is dominant and useful. On the contrary, if it is made in large quantities it may kill brain cells and cause cognitive symptoms, but unless it is so, amyloid β seems to think that amyloid β is good for the body. The two ideas were contrary to those of the medical community of the day, so it was not supported at all. Therefore, Mr. Moier and Mr. Tanzi started research to prove that amyloid β is part of the immune system.

In 2010, two research teams reported that amyloid β kills viruses and bacteria in vitroDemonstrationSucceeded to do, in 2016 it also succeeded in demonstration with worms and mice. "When mice have encephalitis such as meningitis, individuals with amyloid lived longer, in contrast the mice that did not make amyloid died immediately after infection.The amyloid protected from infection It was obvious that there was one, "said Tanzi.

Thanks to these research results, it seems that many researchers are now studying the relationship between the immune system and Alzheimer's. Mr. Tanzi said, "Although there is a close relationship between Alzheimer's disease and plaques in the brain, they also appear to be an immune system that protects the brain." If the immune system that should supposedly protect the brain originally causes Alzheimer's disease or the like, its mechanism may be over-reacted with viruses and bacteria entering the brain, and the system's confusion Hey cells pointed out that there is a possibility that healthy cells are being attacked, Mr. Moir points out.

"If one of our hypotheses is correct, we may be able to halt the process before causing Alzheimer's disease, this is because of a toast from the" Corona beer toast "ten years ago If it is born, it will be a good result that is not desired. "