Biochemists discover new insights into what may go awry in brains of Alzheimer’s patients

Biochemists discover new insights into what may go awry in brains of Alzheimer's patients
Steven Clarke and Rebeccah Warmack. They and UCLA colleagues report that beta amyloid, a small protein that plays an important role in Alzheimer’s, has a specific amino acid that can form a kink, like a kink in a garden hose, creating a harmful molecular zipper, leading to the death of neurons. Credit: Reed Hutchinson/UCLA

More than three decades of research on Alzheimer’s disease have not produced any major treatment advances for those with the disorder, according to a UCLA expert who has studied the biochemistry of the brain and Alzheimer’s for nearly 30 years. “Nothing has worked,” said Steven Clarke, a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “We’re ready for new ideas.” Now, Clarke and UCLA colleagues have reported new insights that may lead to progress in fighting the devastating disease.

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