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Print Edition StoriesMassBay Community College scientists, along with their collaborators at UMass-Lowell and Boston University, have discovered an early indicator for Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of the experiments, which were performed in MassBay’s biotechnology and environmental science labs in Wellesley Hills, were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The scientists discovered that exosomes (a cell marker or vesicle released from cells) containing tau and other proteins are an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Exosomes are found in the cerebral spinal column and can be examined through a spinal tap. High levels of tau in exosomes indicate advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the scientists said.
“By discovering Alzheimer’s in patients earlier, they can start taking medications. Even five years earlier can be beneficial to extending the life of the individual as well as delaying the degenerating effects of the disease,” Sudad Saman, an adjunct professor of STEM at MassBay, researcher, and author of the article, said in a statement.
The deduction that tau protein secretions from exosomes are an early indicator of Alzheimer’s came from a cross-university team led by Sudad Saman and UMass-Lowell’s Garth Hall, professor of biological science.
“The result of our work may become revolutionary in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in its early onset,” said Sudad Saman. “We believe our discovery is quite significant.”
In 2010, MassBay announced the discovery of a new bacteria made possible by Sarmad Saman, coordinator of MassBay’s Environmental Science program, in conjunction with the work of a student using MassBay’s high-tech equipment and laboratory.
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