A Shield for Your Brain: New Enzyme Protects Against Neurodegeneration

Photo: Thomas Quine / flickr / cc by

• “NMNAT2” refers to nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2, a neuronal protective factor.
• New Study realized that NMNAT 2 shows positive correlation to cognitive function, and negative correlation with degenerative factor.
• This is indicative of huge potential for persons with neurodegenerative diseases such as, but not limited to:
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Dementia
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Huntington’s disease
• Proteinopathies is a condition caused by aggregates of proteins, whereby proteins misfold, causing clumps in the brain.
• NMNAT2 is categorized as a “chaperone” enzyme, allowing for the influx of nicotinamide dinucleotide (NAD), strengthening neuronal bodies.
• The chaperone capability of NMNAT2 reduces protein stress caused during proteinoapathies, while the enzymatic abilities provides a protection against excitotoxicity, a process by which neurons are damaged.
• Read more, at PLOS Biology.