WVU researcher hopes Alzheimer's study leads to prevention of nureodegenerative diseases
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dr. Justin Legleiter hopes his theory of what causes Alzheimer's disease could one day lead to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and how to prevent them.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dr. Justin Legleiter hopes his theory of what causes Alzheimer's disease could one day lead to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and how to prevent them.
Legleiter, an assistant professor of chemistry at West Virginia University, presented "Cracking the Code on What Trigger's Alzheimer's" as part of the Eberly Ideas Discussion Series Tuesday night at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in Kanawha City.
He is leading a team of researchers studying destructive proteins and how they interact with cell membranes and lipid bilayers. If these proteins become malformed, they clump together and degenerate cells in the brain, Legleiter said.
"The question is, 'Can we manipulate this interaction?'" he said.
Legleiter believes that exposing the diseased cells to certain chemicals and drugs could treat Alzheimer's.
For example, EC/CG, a green tea extract, has been shown to prevent proteins from becoming malformed, but Legleiter said it hasn't been developed enough to cure the disease altogether.
He said scientists are a long way from predicting and curing the deadly disease, but researchers have begun pinpointing causes of the disease by looking at protein from skin cells. "It's just speculative, but we might be able to identify specific changes in cell changes eventually," he said.
Legleiter said about 450,000 will die from Alzheimer's by the end of this year. That's more than quadruple the deaths in 2010. Every year, he said, Americans spend about $203 billion caring for those with the disease.
Of all the leading diseases causing death, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and HIV, Alzheimer's is the only one with rates that haven't decreased within the past decade, he said.
Legleiter joined WVU in 2008. He earned a bachelor's in chemistry from Murray State University and his doctoral degree from Carnegie Mellon University. His research is sponsored in part by a grant from the Alzheimer's Association.
Reach Travis Crum at travis.c...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5163.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dr. Justin Legleiter hopes his theory of what causes Alzheimer's disease could one day lead to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and how to prevent them.
Legleiter, an assistant professor of chemistry at West Virginia University, presented "Cracking the Code on What Trigger's Alzheimer's" as part of the Eberly Ideas Discussion Series Tuesday night at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in Kanawha City.
He is leading a team of researchers studying destructive proteins and how they interact with cell membranes and lipid bilayers. If these proteins become malformed, they clump together and degenerate cells in the brain, Legleiter said.
"The question is, 'Can we manipulate this interaction?'" he said.
Legleiter believes that exposing the diseased cells to certain chemicals and drugs could treat Alzheimer's.
For example, EC/CG, a green tea extract, has been shown to prevent proteins from becoming malformed, but Legleiter said it hasn't been developed enough to cure the disease altogether.
He said scientists are a long way from predicting and curing the deadly disease, but researchers have begun pinpointing causes of the disease by looking at protein from skin cells. "It's just speculative, but we might be able to identify specific changes in cell changes eventually," he said.
Legleiter said about 450,000 will die from Alzheimer's by the end of this year. That's more than quadruple the deaths in 2010. Every year, he said, Americans spend about $203 billion caring for those with the disease.
Of all the leading diseases causing death, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and HIV, Alzheimer's is the only one with rates that haven't decreased within the past decade, he said.
Legleiter joined WVU in 2008. He earned a bachelor's in chemistry from Murray State University and his doctoral degree from Carnegie Mellon University. His research is sponsored in part by a grant from the Alzheimer's Association.
Reach Travis Crum at travis.c...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5163.
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