(ANSA) - ROME, OCTOBER 05 - An enzyme, more present in the brains of women than in that of men, would make them more susceptible to Alzheimer's as it causes an accumulation of toxic proteins inside the nerve cells of the brain.
Explaining why women are more at risk of cognitive decline is a study published in the scientific journal Cell, which could help in the development of new drugs for the disease.
Women have Alzheimer's about twice as often as men.
Why is not clear, but a possible explanation has been sought in the fact that women show increased deposition of the tau protein in the brain.
The process of eliminating the excess occurs thanks to a balanced system of enzymes, which dysfunction can lead to an abnormal accumulation of tau.
According to the results of the new study, greater activity of the enzyme USP11 (ubiquitin-specific peptidase 11), of which women express higher levels in the brain than men, is correlated with high levels of tau, as it inhibits its degradation and elimination.
Then the researchers, in one experiment, genetically eliminated USP11 in the brains of female mice, and observed that in this case they were protected from cognitive decline.
They came to the conclusion that the excessive activity of the enzyme USP11 in the female gender determines their greater susceptibility to Alzheimer's.
"The good news is that USP11 is an enzyme and that these can be inhibited pharmacologically," said David Kang, a senior co-author of pathology at the CaseWestern Reserve School of Medicine, Ohio.
"We are particularly excited about this discovery because it provides a foundation for the development of neuroprotective drugs."
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