Levels of the TRIM11 protein were found to be reduced in models of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research from Penn Medicine. The study suggests that restoring the protein might improve cognitive and motor function.
New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has discovered that a gene encoding a protein linked to tau production—tripartite motif protein 11 (TRIM11)—was found to suppress deterioration in small animal models of neurodegenerative diseases similar to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while improving cognitive and motor abilities.
Furthermore, the study identified TRIM11 as a significant player in the elimination of protein tangles that lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. The findings were recently published in the journal Science.
AD is the most common cause of dementia in older adults, with an estimated 6 million Americans currently living with the disease.