Scientists Suspect Alzheimer's a third type of Diabetes

A study by a team lead by William L Klein of Northwestern University, in Evanston, found a toxic protein in alzheimer's patients --amyloid -beta derived diffusible ligand or ADDL--which removes insulin receptors from nerve cells making them insulin resistent and stopping brain insulin signaling responsible for memory.

"We found the binding of ADDLs to synapses somehow prevents insulin receptors from accumulating at the synapses where they are needed," Klein, said in a statement.

"Instead, they are piling up where they are made, in the cell body, near the nucleus. Insulin cannot reach receptors there. This finding is the first molecular evidence of why nerve cells should become insulin resistant in Alzheimer's disease."

Klein said he believes the findings are a major factor in the memory deficiencies caused by ADDLs in Alzheimer's brains and reveals a fundamental new connection between two fields -- diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, which offers hope for therapeutics.

"We want to find ways to make those insulin receptors themselves resistant to the impact of ADDLs," Smith said. "And that might not be so difficult."

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Moreover my view is, it would be interesting to check whether the insulin levels in the CSF is raised or not under such circumstances and also (though not correlated/proven) the level of glucose in the CSF w respect to the levels of insulin.