Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, have discovered compounds in green tea that can break down protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. The journal Nature Communications reports that molecules known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) destroy tau protein fibers, which form tangles that lead to neuronal cell death. In their new study, researchers described how EGCG destroys tau protein fibers and identified other molecules that play the same role and penetrate brain tissues effectively.
The researchers extracted tau protein aggregates from the brains of individuals who died from Alzheimer’s disease and incubated them for varying periods with EGCG. After three hours, they found that half of the fibers had collapsed and the other half was partially damaged. After 24 hours, the fibrous tangles had completely disappeared.
The researchers identified on tau fibers locations called drug carriers where EGCG molecules bind. They then analyzed, using computational simulations, information about 60,000 small molecules that might attach to the same sites. As a result, they identified several hundred molecules made up of 25 atoms or fewer that bind to tau fibers more effectively than EGCG, including molecules called CNS-11 and CNS-17.
