Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of brain diseases, characterised by progressive loss of nerve cells and other changes in the brain. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are the most common among the neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers from Oxford Population Health investigated how protein levels in the blood are related to these neurodegenerative diseases, as well as multiple sclerosis, a disease where the immune system attacks the nerve cells, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a relatively rare but fatal disease that is caused by the progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Dr Lazaros Belbasis, lead author and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Intermediate Transition Research Fellow at Oxford Population Health, said ‘Proteins play a key role in a range of biological processes, including the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Our study aims to help combat the global burden of these diseases by identifying their underlying mechanisms and potential drug targets.’
The researchers used genetic data from the UK Biobank and the deCODE Health Study to analyse more than 2,700 blood proteins measured through two different technologies, and to study their association with these neurodegenerative diseases. The results are published in Brain.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.