Research published in Nature Neuroscience A graduate of the University of Chile leads an important finding that would allow progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s

Cristián Lasagna, a molecular biotechnology engineer from the University of Chile and current director of the neurodegenerative diseases research group at the Stark Institute for Neuroscience at Indiana University, heads the project that identified a protein that stabilizes the tau protein, responsible for deterioration cognition caused by Alzheimer’s. The research, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, will receive an award at the most influential conference on dementia in the world.

Communications U of Chile.- A new study involving five Chilean scientists identified a mechanism that may help create new therapies against Alzheimer’s. The research, published by the prestigious journal Nature Neurosciencewas headed by Christian Lasagnaa molecular biotechnology engineer from the University of Chile and a doctor in biomedicine from the University of Texas, who currently heads the neurodegenerative diseases research group at the Stark Institute for Neuroscience at Indiana University.

The study, as explained by the Casa de Bello graduate, identified that the tau protein, responsible for cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s, mixes with the bassoon protein and the latter acts as a stabilizer of this toxic aggregate of tau. Therefore, this interaction offers a promising target for halting the spread of tau in the brain and, theoretically, halting neurodegeneration. “Tau is a protein that is expressed mostly in neurons and, for reasons that are not fully understood, aggregates and forms neurofibrillary tangles, a web of aggregates of this protein that are toxic to neurons and the brain.” explains the Chilean scientist.

Lasagna details that “what we discovered is that tau aggregates are composed not only of tau, but also of other proteins, and one of these proteins is a protein called bassoon, which is in the synapse of neurons. We discovered that when we lowered bassoon levels, we removed bassoon’s ability to bind to tau aggregate. This toxic aggregate is very unstable and breaks down, so this bassoon protein acts as a stabilizer for this toxic aggregate.”

Regarding the action of this protein, he adds that “if we remove bassoon from the brain of mice, the tau aggregate is very unstable, and the neuron’s own defense system can degrade it and there is no propagation of the neurotoxic aggregate in the brain.” ”, he details.

The next steps after this discovery

Cristián Lasagna explains that his laboratory “is more about basic biology, we work with mice, cell models, with the brains of human patients, but now we have to take it to more translational biology.” For this reason, in relation to the next steps, he points out that “we are associated with a private company that is going to look for molecules that inhibit the expression of this bassoon protein. The idea is that it be as efficient as possible because a larger part of the investment comes from it”. He also adds that “once an inhibitor of this bassoon protein is found, what follows is testing in primates to see if it is toxic or not.” In this way, if this stage progresses successfully, it would continue with clinical studies in human patients.

The study carried out by the group led by Cristián Lasagna will be awarded this month in Amsterdam within the framework of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, the most influential conference in the world on advances in this dementia. The recognition will distinguish the work as the most important research in the world on the biology of this disease in the last two years. In addition to Lasagna, the team that made this discovery is made up of Chileans Pablo Martinezfirst author of the study, and Nur Juryboth post doctorates from the laboratory, along with Juan Codocedo and John Troncoso. In addition, they are added Henika Patel, Yanwen You, abigail perkins, Audrey Lee Gosselin, Xavier Taylor and yingjian you.