111. More Research to Solve Alzheimer’s, EV Energy Sharing, Tesla Virtual Power Plants

NEWS: <p><a href='https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/sugar-studded-protein-is-key-to-an-alzheimer-s-cure'>Sugar-studded protein is key to an Alzheimer's cure</a> | The Brighter Side (01:38)</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">In a bit of “reverse engineering” research using brain tissues from five people who died with Alzheimer’s disease, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they discovered that a special sugar molecule could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">This could indicate the molecule, known as a glycan, to be used as an early diagnostic test.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">And opens a way to perhaps prevention of the disease</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Cleaning up the disease-causing forms of amyloid and tau is the job of the brain’s immune cells, called microglia. <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Earlier studies found that when cleanup is impaired, Alzheimer’s disease is more likely to occur. </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Thought to be caused by an overabundance of a receptor on the microglia cells, called CD33.</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Past studies by the researchers showed that for CD33, these “connector” molecules are special sugars.<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">These molecules are ferried around the cell by specialized proteins that help them find their appropriate receptors. </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The protein-glycan combination is called a glycoprotein. </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The researchers, to find out more about the glycoproteins, obtained brain tissue from five people who died of Alzheimer’s disease and from five people.<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Among the many thousands of glycoproteins they gathered from the brain tissues, only one connected to CD33.</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">What was this mysterious glycoprotein?<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">The researchers determined the protein component’s identity by taking its “f