Caffeine and 23 Other Compounds Boost Enzyme That Protects Against Dementia

Researchers from the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science at Indiana University in Bloomington have identified the role that caffeine plays in boosting the activity levels of an enzyme known to combat dementia. Caffeine and 23 other compounds were found to interact with this enzyme, known as NMNAT2, to protect the brain against dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

According to the leader of the study, Hui-Chen Lu, the new research has the capability to increase the knowledge needed to develop drugs for boosting NMNAT2 in the brain, so as to block out the advances of brain disorders. Lu is a Gill Professor in the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, a part of the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences. She worked alongside Yousuf O. Ali, an assistant research scientist, and Gillian Bradley, a graduate student on the project.

Lu and her team of researchers analyzed over 1,280 compounds and drugs before zeroing in on caffeine and the 23 compounds. These compounds were found to boost the production and activity of NMNAT2 to fight off brain degeneration, IU Bloomington news release shows. The study was carried out on lab mice and the results found satisfactory before the authors of the study went public with their research.

Other compounds identified to boost the production of NMNAT2

Apart from the generally-known caffeine, another compound found to help the brain against degenerative factors is rolipram. This was an orphaned drug that was first developed for the treatment of depression, but it has also been found to reduce the effects of tangled proteins in the human brain. Other identified compounds are ziprasidone, cantharidin, wortmannin and retinoic acid among others.

Researcher Lu disclosed that her team was set up to identify the pathways that could be used to block degenerative factors in the brain. Beyond this, the team is also out to identify crucial compounds that could be used to develop drugs needed for treating debilitating mental disorders. So identifying the natural causes of brain decline is also as important as identifying the natural compounds needed to treat the condition.

The authors of the study called for more research into this subject to learn more on the roles of compounds on mental health, most especially dementia. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the Belfer Family Foundation.

Charles Omedo can be contacted on  writers100@yahoo.com for web content jobs. He writes daily news articles for US/UK/Canadian clients and web articles/blog posts/product reviews on various topical niches for paying clients.


 By Charles I. Omedo


Article Source: Caffeine and 23 Other Compounds Boost Enzyme That Protects Against Dementia