Discovery of Enzyme Capable of Decomposing an Alzheimer’s Stimulant 22 Jul 2010 The Korea Economic Daily A group of Korean researchers discovered an enzyme for decomposing a substance that causes Alzheimer’s disease. The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on 22 July that it found that “Glutamate carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII)” is effective in decomposing amyloid-beta peptide, a toxic substance known to cause Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most diagnosed forms of dementia in Korea. The center served as the world’s first institute to discover such an enzyme. This illness prevails when amlyoid-beta peptide accumulates in the brain, thereby causing difficulties in basic acts of memorization, speech, and thinking-process. Patients experience difficulty eating, dressing, and engaging in other daily activities as the symptoms get worse. The new research results will be published in FASEB Journal, a well-known international SCI journal. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for about 70% of dementia cases here and nothing has been verified to be effective in its treatment thus far. Koreans spent KRW 326.8 billion in 2007 on dementia treatment and its socioeconomic cost is expected to be two or three times higher in the future. According to the researchers, GCPII decomposes the substance into small peptides and prevents cranial nerve damage. Furthermore, GCPII dissolves both monomers and oligomer amyloids, which is more destructive and damaging to the brain. The finding proved effective after a month of clinical testing. “For a long time, GCPII was known to be involved in the formation of glutamate and absorbance of folic acid. Now we can use it to prevent the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease or contain it to a very low level,” the research team stated. The new use of GCPII has obtained a patent from the Patent Cooperation Treaty and is filing a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This is a meaningful step in the fight against the disease. However, it is expected to take considerable time before the new research results can be commercialized. Sung-yun Kim, a doctor at Seoul Asan Medical Center stated that the finding is “very meaningful,” but expressed the need for patience as there is a lengthy period before a new enzyme can be used for treatment.