Alzheimer's Skin Test

Daniel Alkon and colleagues at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in Morgantown, WV have developed a proteomic skin test that detects an inflammatory marker indicating Alzheimer’s Disease.  The test does not involve capture in a patch, but rather relies on skin cells grown in culture; the target is a group of Protein kinase C enzymes that act in signal transduction for long term memory; it is their absence that indicates AD. Additionally, Alkon believes that bryostatin, an experimental drug for certain cancers, can activate the PCK enzymes.  This work illustrates a much wider role for proteomics in accurately diagnosing the tangle of neurological disorders that now are based largely on behavior.    MORE

 Image Credit: Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute and technology Review