A recent study conducted by a Korean research team led by Professor Chan Beum Park has had success suppressing assemblies of beta-amyloids with photo excited porphyrins.
Beta-amyloid build up has long been known to be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. This study is very exciting in the medical field. Soon we may have a new, more effective method of treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“Light” is already being used as a valid treatment method for diseases such as cancer. This is the first indication that it may be a viable option for neurological issues …
Take a look at the article below to find out more …
Using light to treat Alzheimer’s disease
Date: November 15, 2015
Source: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Deposits of Beta-Amyloid in Fruit Flies Stopped by Using Porphyrin and Blue LED Lights – Credit: Copyright KAIST
A Korean research team jointly led by Professor Chan Beum Park of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Dr. Kwon Yu from the Bionano Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) conducted research to suppress an abnormal assembly of beta-amyloids, a protein commonly found in the brain, by using photo-excited porphyrins.
Beta-amyloid plaques are known to cause Alzheimer’s disease.
… Alzheimer’s starts when a protein called beta-amyloid is created and deposited in a patient’s brain. The abnormally folded protein created this way harms the brain cells by inducing the degradation of brain functions, for example, dementia. If beta-amyloid creation can be suppressed at an early stage, the formation of amyloid deposits will stop. This could prevent Alzheimer’s disease or halt its progress.
The research team effectively prevented the buildup of beta-amyloids by using blue LED lights and a porphyrin inducer …
Professor Park said, “This work has significance as it was the first case to use light and photosensitizers to stop deposits of beta-amyloids. We plan to carry the research further by testing compatibility with other organic and inorganic photosensitizers and by changing the subject of photodynamic therapy to vertebrate such as mice.”
