Brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s Disease may originate in the liver according to research conducted at The Scripps Research Institute. This research could ultimately lead to new ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease without concentrating on the brain.
As part of the research, scientists injected mice with a drug named Gleevec which is generally used to treat leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors. Researchers found lower levels of three genes in the livers of mice correlated with less brain brain substance and an increase in amyloid brain plaques.
Brain plaques have long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and research have speculated the formation of such plaques may mean an increased risk of the degenerative brain disease. This discovery of linking brain plaques origin to the liver provides researchers with opportunity to look elsewhere in their fight against Alzheimer’s.
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