Advances in Research Into Alzheimer's Disease

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110709113610.htm

ScienceDaily (July 8, 2011) — Advances in research into Alzheimer's disease: transporter proteins at the blood CSF barrier and vitamin D may help prevent amyloid β build up in the brain.

Advancing age is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and is associated with build- up of the peptide amyloid β in the brain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Fluids and Barriers of the CNS shows that removal of amyloid β from the brain depends on vitamin D and also on an age-related alteration in the production of transporter proteins which move amyloid β in and out of the brain.

Low levels of vitamin D are thought to be involved in age-related decline in memory and cognition and are also associated with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Tohoku University, Japan, looked at the mechanism behind this and found that vitamin D injections improved the removal of amyloid β from the brain of mice.

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