'Road block' to treat Alzheimer's?

A 'road block' method could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, according to scientists.

Blocking a transport pathway through the brain cells could prevent the development of the neurodegenerative condition, a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found.

It was revealed that two main agents of Alzheimer's, the amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) and the beta secretase enzyme (BACE1), follow a different path through brain cells to meet up.

The foundations are laid for the disease when the two agents do meet up.

Scientist Wim Annaert said: "Closing off or rerouting the path which beta secretase follows to get to APP may perhaps be used to inhibit the rise of the disease. However, a great deal of additional research will be necessary to confirm whether this discovery can effectively lead to a drug."

In other news, vitamin C could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, according to research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

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