Sydney, May 12 || A team of Australian scientists has identified a small molecule that blocks cell death, an advance that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
The team from the Melbourne-based Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) aimed to find new chemicals that block cell death, which could help treat degenerative diseases in the future.
The findings offer hope for treatments that could slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
After screening over 100,000 chemical compounds, the team found a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX.
By interfering with a well-understood cell death protein, the molecule effectively stopped cells from dying.
“We were thrilled to find a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX and stops it working,” said Professor Guillaume Lessene from WEHI.
“While not the case in most cells, in neurons turning off BAX alone may be sufficient to limit cell death," Lessene added.
While drugs that trigger cell death are transforming the treatment of certain cancers, the development of cell death blockers -- that could be similarly game-changing for neurodegenerative conditions -- has proven challenging.