Scientists help pinpoint source of Alzheimer's

Experts from Leeds University believe their findings could help explain why decades of study have failed to lead to a cure.

More than 800,000 people in the UK live with dementia and one in three over-65s will die with some form of the disease.

The condition is widely believed to be caused by the gradual accumulation in the brain of a substance known as amyloid-beta peptide which is t

oxic to nerve cells. It is formed from a protein known as APP, which has three types, but most research does not distinguish between the different forms.

New findings by biologists at Leeds show it is mainly created by one of the three forms which is found in greater concentrations in brain and nerve cells. The discovery will now enable research to focus more clearly on the exact mechanism by which amyloid beta peptide accumulates in the brain.

Prof Tony Turner, who co-led the work, said: "Research into amyloid beta peptide has been going on for more than 20 years and while treatments have made it to clinical trials, nothing has proved truly effective against this disease.

"Our findings will allow researchers to target their work much more precisely."

The research was funded by the Medical Research Council and the Alzheimer's Research Trust.