Protective Protein Offers New Hope for Alzheimer’s

Quick Smiles:

• Researchers found that midkine helps prevent harmful protein clumps in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Midkine was shown to inhibit the assembly of amyloid beta, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
• This discovery could inspire new treatments and offer hope for future therapies.

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have revealed that the protein midkine may play a crucial protective role in Alzheimer’s disease.

Unlike previous assumptions, midkine doesn’t worsen Alzheimer’s, but instead helps stop amyloid beta, a sticky protein, from clumping together around neurons.

“Once the amyloid beta assemblies grow, the signal becomes weaker and broader until it disappears because the technique can only analyze small molecules,” said co-author Junmin Peng. “But when we add in midkine, the signal returns, showing that it inhibits the large assemblies.”

The team used advanced laboratory techniques and studies in mouse models to show that when midkine is absent, more amyloid beta clumps form, further supporting its protective effect.

According to Peng, this breakthrough could inspire scientists to develop small molecules that mimic midkine’s action, paving the way for promising new treatments.

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