Researchers recently discovered a potential cure for Alzheimer's disease in the form of nodule bacteria. They found these in the soil near the roots of ginseng. This approach could provide a new strategy for treating Alzheimer'sor dementiaoffer. The active ingredient belongs to a novel class of compounds with a tricyclic structure. This significantly dissociates the protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease both in living organisms and in the test tube, as reported by scientists.
Effectiveness of nodule bacteria against Alzheimer's disease
The area around the roots of plants is a complex ecosystem with numerous interactions between the plants and various microorganisms. However, the so-called rhizosphere has been neglected in the search for new medicines, even though it has so much to offer. The research team has now identified a natural substance called rhizolutin that could form a basis for novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Rhizolutin is produced by a strain of bacteria that grows in the root zone of ginseng. Ginseng is an Asian plant used in traditional medicine and called a tonic. By cultivating in one withGinseng powderWith the enriched medium, the researchers were able to increase the production of the bacterium by a factor of ten. This allowed them to determine the structure of this new compound. The whole thing turns out to be a unique framework made up of three interconnected rings.
A screening of natural product libraries showed that rhizolutin is an agent capable of dissociating amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau tangles (fibrous aggregates of tau proteins). The two are typical characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. Such deposits form when amyloid-β proteins misfold and form β-sheets, which can aggregate into insoluble plaques and fibers. These lead to the death of nerve cells, nerve inflammation, brain atrophy and the associated cognitive losses. In this regard, no effective treatment has been found for this disease.
Study results
Through a variety of in vitro and in vivo experiments, the team was able to show that nodule bacteria act against Alzheimer's disease by leading to a clear dissociation of insoluble Aβ and tau aggregates. In cultures of neurons and glial cells, rhizolutin was able to significantly reduce the inflammatory processes and cell death caused by Aβ. Rhizolutin was also able to significantly dissociate the Aβ plaques present in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The process therefore appears to be similar to the removal of misfolded proteins through immunotherapy. Computer simulations also suggest that rhizolutin enters the hydrophobic regions of the aggregated β-sheets and initiates dissociation. The authorsof the studyhope to apply this approach in future strategies to treat Alzheimer's disease.
