The search for a method of preventing the formation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, has led researchers to nicotine, according to a story by Stephen Feller for UPI, citing research carried out at the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
While nicotine is not being suggested as a method for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, blocking in the brain receptors that respond to nicotine was found to prevent memory loss linked to the condition in mice.
Nicotine has been shown in previous studies to benefit memory, though the downsides of the substance – including addiction and early aging – are said to outweigh any potential benefits of consumption.
Nicotine receptors in the brain, also called acetylcholine receptors, are sensitive to neurotransmitters and are involved with functions of the nervous system, including voluntary movement, attention, sleep, anxiety and memory.
For the study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, researchers focused on the role of the β2 subunit of the nicotine receptor, one of five subunits involved with the receptor.
“Characterizing this new therapeutic target will enable us to test molecules that are capable of blocking the β2 subunit,” Dr. Uwe Maskos, a researcher in the Department of Neuroscience at the Pasteur Institute, said in a press note. “The aim is to find a therapeutic molecule that resembles nicotine but does not have the same harmful effects.”