Molecular probe may signal cure for Alzheimer's

摘要

However, treatment for Alzheimer'sshould be a little nearer, thanks to a newmolecular probe that can do what previous"detective" molecules could not: cross theblood-brain barrier, the physiologicalmechanism that protects the brain fromharmful substances. Called an LCO, or lu-minescent conjugated oligothiophene, thismolecule will allow scientists to see amy-loid plaques in the brains of live micethrough a cranial window, enabling treat-ment to be followed in real time. This is acrucial step toward investigating the dis-ease in humans. The study was publishedonline July 22, 2009, in the ACS journalChemical Biology.