In a new study, scientists have identified small molecules that destroy amyloid tangles.
A green tea molecule, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), is known to break down tau fibers, long, multi-layered filaments. They form tangles of fibrils that attack neurons, causing their death.
Thousands of J-shaped layers of tau molecules boundtogether, form a type of amyloid fibrils that form tangles. They were first discovered nearly a century ago by Alois Alzheimer in the post-mortem brain of a patient with dementia. These fibers grow and spread throughout the brain, killing neurons and causing brain atrophy. Many scientists believe that removing or destroying tau fibers can stop the progression of dementia .
EGCG has been widely studied but never used inas a cure for Alzheimer's disease. This is because its ability to break down tau fibers is best in water, and it does not enter cells or the brain as easily. Additionally, once EGCG enters the bloodstream, it binds to many proteins other than tau fibers. , which weakens its effectiveness.
To study the mechanisms by which EGCGdestroys tau fibers, the researchers extracted tangles from the brains of people who had died of Alzheimer's disease and incubated them for various times with EGCG. Within three hours, half of the fibers were gone, and those that remained were partially degraded. After 24 within an hour all the fibers had disappeared.
It is noteworthy that EGCG molecules are one ofthe most important organic substances of green tea. Based on the epigallocatechin gallate data, the scientists looked at a library of 60,000 small molecules beneficial to the brain and nervous system that could potentially bind to the same sites.
Of several hundred molecules measuring 25 atoms orless, scientists chose two - CNS-11 and CNS-17. They work like EGCG in green tea, but penetrate better into the brain tissue. The study authors believe that these molecules are drug candidates that will help treat Alzheimer's disease.
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