Alzheimer’s Disease Mechanism Traced to Genetic Defect That Lowers Levels of a Mitochrondrial Protein
Researchers at two Norwegian institutions found that deficits in the mitochondrial protein PITRM1 led to an accumulation of amyloid-beta, whose deposits in the brain are known to cause Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, drawn from a study of a family with a rare genetic defect, further suggest that mitochondria is a key player in neurodegenerative diseases.