And drug commonly used to reduce the cholesterolil bezafibratocould prove to be useful in the treatment of Frontotemporal dementiaa severe neurodegenerative disease which strikes in age relatively early compromising il behavioril language and the cognitive functions.
One proves it studio conduct on brain organoidsor models of brain which reproduce the mechanisms behind the disease. The results are published in the magazine Alzheimer’s & Dementia by the researchers of the Italian Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Lausanne.
Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative disease ad incurable today Which specifically affects the frontal lobes and thunderstorms of the brain, the areas responsible for behavior, language, personality and control of emotions. In some hereditary forms The disease is caused by mutations in the Tau proteinwhich has a crucial role in the functioning of neurons.
Precisely using cells of patients with front -time dementia with Tau protein mutation, researchers have developed brain organoids that reproduce some characteristics typical of the illness: loss Of connections among the neurons, reduced functional activity e accumulation from the Proteina year pathological. The treatment with bezafibrato ha favored the increase in connections between neurons and the partial recovery dellfunctional activity in the organoids. In addition, one has been observed Reduction of the pathological tau proteinone of the main factors responsible for neurodegeneration.
Come nextthe research team intends perfect their own organoids brain for replicate more accurately il process Of agingalso including the cells of the immune system normally present in the brain. In parallel, electrophysiological techniques advanced to analyze the communication mechanisms between neurons and the formation of neural networks will be used. “This approach – concludes the coordinator of the Silvia study of Angelantonio of IIT – will guide us inThe identification of new therapeutic targets and in the development of effective treatments for devastating neurodegenerative diseases. “
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