American scientists believe they have discovered the cause of nerve damage in individuals with Down syndrome.
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(Photo: BBC) |
The researchers identified a gene that, when produced in excess, can cause some brain cells to function abnormally. Scientists hope that discovering a way to deactivate this gene could help prevent cognitive decline or even reverse it.
Individuals with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. Many individuals with Down syndrome later develop schizophrenia, similar to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, by the age of 40.
In both conditions, the brain cells responsible for learning, memory, and attention gradually deteriorate and die.
The research team, led by William Mobley, director of the Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University, studied mice and found that those with three copies of the App gene on chromosome 21 had larger neurons compared to mice with two copies of the gene.
Mobley believes that the App gene causes cell death by disrupting the signaling between cells that keeps them healthy.
It is already known that a variant of the App gene triggers early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but having three copies of this gene can be even more detrimental to the brain.
Mobley stated that the next step is to uncover the mechanisms of this process and investigate whether there is a way to turn off this gene’s activity. “If we can inhibit the activity of this gene, we may find better treatment options for individuals with Down syndrome.”
M.T.
