Unblocked brain regions for people with Alzheimer's disease

The largest data set for brain regions has been produced by researchers at the University of Manchester, showing the differences between healthy brains and those with Alzheimer's disease.

Developed by a team of researchers led by Dr. Richard Unwin of the University of Manchester, in collaboration with researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Liverpool, United Kingdom and Auckland, New Zealand, the largest Never seen map of the human brain of Alzheimer's disease is now available for free for any scientist to use.

Regions of the brain

Posted in Biology of communication, badysis, mapping relative levels of more than 5,825 distinct proteins in six brain regions, generated 24,024 data points.

The brain regions of the study included the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, Cingulate gyrus, which were more severely affected, and the motor cortex, sensory cortex and cerebellum less affected.

The samples were donated for research by patients from the New Zealand Bank Brain Bank in Auckland.

Unwin explains, "This database provides researchers around the world with a great opportunity to grow, to learn new areas of biology and to develop new treatments.

"It could also help validate observed observations in animal models of animal or cellular disease in humans.

"It's very exciting to be able to make this data public so that scientists can access and use this vital information."

The team also pointed out that a region of the brain, previously thought to be unaffected by the disease, the cerebellum, had a series of changes that it believed could protect it from damage from Alzheimer's disease. .

Take a closer look at the different paths

As a general rule, Alzheimer's disease develops in the hippocampus and spreads through brain pathways. But by examining different parts of this path, the team was able to observe, for the first time, the evolution of Alzheimer's disease in more detail.

"We believe that the changes we see in the affected areas later represent early changes in the disease, present before cell death," he adds.

"These represent good new targets for drug developers because we know that it is important to try to intervene early."

During the study, the team discovered new molecules that were not badociated with the disease, which represents other targets for the development of new drugs.

The team identified 129 protein changes present in all areas of the brain studied, including at least 44 non-disease badociated ones.

Provide a huge opportunity

Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, added: "By studying thousands of individual proteins, this exciting research has generated a detailed molecular map of the changes that occur in the brain in Alzheimer's disease.

"Making this information freely available online will help researchers navigate the complex and changing brain environment under Alzheimer's and identify the processes that could be targeted by future drugs.

"In the UK, more than half a million people are living with Alzheimer's disease and there is currently no treatment that can slow or prevent progression of the disease in the brain. Such pioneering research advances new breakthroughs that will change people's lives. "