(c) Flickr & Mr Wabu
緑茶に含まれるカテキンの一種EGCGが，アミロイドという繊維状のタンパク質の凝集を阻止する効果を持つことが新たな実験で示された。このタンパク質が脳で凝集してプラークを形成することが，アルツハイマー病など神経変性疾患の発症に関与していると考えられている。この実験でEGCGは，銅，鉄，亜鉛を含むアミロイド凝集物の形成を防ぐだけでなく，既に形成された凝集物の構造を破壊した。今後はEGCGを脳で作用するよう調整し，プラーク形成抑制効果についてショウジョウバエを使った実験で検証する予定だという。（吉田素子）
Green Tea Extract Interferes with the Formation of Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain.
The aggregation of these proteins, called metal-associated amyloids, is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
A paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explained how Life Sciences Institute faculty member Mi Hee Lim and an interdisciplinary team of researchers used green tea extract to control the generation of metal-associated amyloid-β aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease in the lab.
The specific molecule in green tea, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, also known as EGCG, prevented aggregate formation and broke down existing aggregate structures in the proteins that contained metals -- specifically copper, iron and zinc.
"A lot of people are very excited about this molecule," said Lim, noting that the EGCG and other flavonoids in natural products have long been established as powerful antioxidants. "We used a multidisciplinary approach. This is the first example of structure-centric, multidisciplinary investigations by three principal investigators with three different areas of expertise."
The research team included chemists, biochemists and biophysicists.
While many researchers are investigating small molecules and metal-associated amyloids, most are looking from a limited perspective, said Lim, assistant professor of chemistry and research assistant professor at the Life Sciences Institute, where her lab is located and her research is conducted.
"But we believe you have to have a lot of approaches working together, because the brain is very complex," she said.
［単語和訳］
Extract：抽出物 Interferes with：～を妨げる Amyloid Plaques：アミロイド斑，アミロイドプラーク Alzheimer's Disease：アルツハイマー病
Researchers：研究者 molecule：分子 misfolding：（タンパク質の）誤った折り畳み proteins：タンパク質 brain：脳
aggregation：凝集 metal-associated：金属結合性の is associated with：～と関連している neurodegenerative：神経変性の
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences：米国科学アカデミー紀要 （雑誌名） faculty member：教職員 interdisciplinary：学際的な，異なった学問の分野にまたがる generation：形成 amyloid-β：アミロイドβタンパク質 aggregates：凝集物 lab：研究室
(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate：(-)-エピガロカテキン-3-ガラート specifically：具体的には copper：銅 zinc：亜鉛
flavonoids：フラボノイド natural products：天然物 antioxidants：抗酸化物質 multidisciplinary：学際的な，異なった学問の分野にまたがる structure-centric：（分子の）構造を重視した principal investigators：試験統括研究者 areas of expertise：専門分野
biochemists：生化学者 biophysicists：生物物理学者
small molecules：小分子 perspective：観点 assistant professor：講師
