- In Montpellier, the work of Eric Kremer and Tangui Maurice was recognized by the Foundation for Medical Research, which allocated 361,600 euros to them.
- The Nav1.1 protein is at the heart of the project of these two Hérault scientists, who are committed against Alzheimer's disease: increasing its production would prevent the anomalies associated with this pathology.
- So far, the method has been demonstrated in mice carrying the disease.
Will we be able to overcome Alzheimer's disease tomorrow? Many avenues have been explored for many years in laboratories around the world. But for the moment, there is no drug on the market capable of curing it.
In Montpellier, in Hérault, Eric Kremer, researcher at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, and Tangui Maurice, researcher in the Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementia laboratory, are engaged in the tough fight against this disease, which affects around 225,000 new people. every year in France. Their project, like seven others in France, caught the eye of the Foundation for Medical Research, which allocated them an endowment of 361,600 euros. "This funding is fundamental," says Tangui Maurice. Without him, the project couldn't be done. "
Restore neurotransmission in the patient
The Nav1.1 protein is at the heart of the work of these two Hérault scientists: research has shown that increasing its production in the brains of mice carrying Alzheimer's disease prevents abnormalities associated with the pathology. The objective is to develop a technique, capable of transferring the gene necessary for the production of this protein, directly into the brain. And so, restore neurotransmission, which is failing in the patient with Alzheimer's.
"This protein allows sodium ions to pass between the inside and outside of the cell, which contribute to improving its functioning, that of neurons, and therefore of neurotransmission," explains Tangui Maurice. This innovative method could help prevent or stop the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease.
For now, work is just beginning, and it is still too early to consider testing on humans. But "given the encouraging results of the injection of cells overproducing Nav1.1 in animals, we are hopeful that a simplified approach using gene transfer will allow us to confirm these results and thus lead to trials in the patients, ”says Eric Kremer.
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