天然存在的人体肽在对抗阿尔茨海默病方面显现希望（NewsNation）——尽管经过数十年的研究，阿尔茨海默病仍是医学界最难治疗的疾病之一。如今，一种新发现的天然存在肽，可能为对抗该病及其他神经退行性疾病提供新途径。
Naturally occurring human peptide shows promise against Alzheimer’s (NewsNation) — Despite decades of research, Alzheimer’s remains one of medicine’s most difficult diseases to treat. Now, a newly identified naturally occurring peptide could provide a new approach to combating it and other neurodegenerative diseases.
加州大学圣迭戈分校医学院的研究人员发现了一种名为儿茶酚抑素（catestatin，简称CST）的小分子蛋白片段。他们认为，CST能够抵消许多导致神经退行性病变的关键过程，也就是脑细胞的丧失。
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine discovered the small protein fragment called catestatin, or CST, which they believe could counter many of the key processes that cause neurodegeneration, or the loss of brain cells.
这种渐进性的细胞丧失可能引发记忆力下降、意识混乱、判断力减弱等症状，到了后期，还会出现行走、说话和吞咽困难。
This gradual loss can lead to symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, poor judgment, and in later stages, difficulty walking, talking and swallowing.
研究人员选取出现这些症状的小鼠，给其注射CST，以评估其作用。在本周发表于《分子治疗》期刊的一项研究中，他们发现，这种肽减少了 Tau 蛋白和淀粉样蛋白的积聚，而这两类蛋白均与阿尔茨海默病和脑细胞丧失有关。CST还减轻了大脑炎症，并改善了小鼠的认知功能和运动协调能力。
Using mice that displayed these symptoms, researchers injected CST to evaluate its effects. In a study published this week in the journal Molecular Therapy, they found the peptide reduced the buildup of tau and amyloid proteins, both of which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease and brain cell loss. CST also reduced inflammation in the brain and improved cognitive function and motor coordination in the mice.
这一发现之所以重要，是因为目前针对神经退行性疾病的治疗要么针对淀粉样蛋白，要么针对 Tau 蛋白，但尚无方法能同时针对两者。
This finding matters because current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases target either amyloid or tau proteins, but not both.
资深作者苏希尔·K·马哈塔（Sushil K. Mahata）表示：“我们的研究表明，CST能够作用于多条与这些疾病相关的通路，使大脑转向更健康的状态。”“更广泛地说，这项研究表明，基于肽的治疗可能为复杂神经退行性疾病提供一种新的治疗途径。”研究人员还在研究CST能否改变大脑产生和利用能量的方式，这意味着它或许能增强大脑抵御神经退行性疾病的能力。
“Our findings show that CST can act across several of these disease-associated pathways and shift the brain toward a healthier state,” senior author Sushil K. Mahata said. “More broadly, the study suggests that peptide-based therapies may offer a new approach to treating complex neurodegenerative diseases.” Researchers are also investigating whether CST can alter how the brain produces and uses energy, meaning it could help the brain become more resilient to neurodegenerative diseases.
尽管加州大学圣迭戈分校的研究结果令人鼓舞，但CST在人类中是否会产生同样的效果仍不清楚。研究作者表示，需要开展进一步研究，以确定其安全性、剂量和有效性，然后才能评估其作为潜在治疗方法的可行性。
While the UC San Diego findings are encouraging, it remains unclear whether CST would have the same effects in humans. The study’s authors said further research is needed to determine its safety, dosing and effectiveness before evaluating it as a potential treatment.