Question

In 2012, excitement rippled through the scientific community with the discovery of an enzyme that appeared to be, just maybe, a powerful new tool for combating Alzheimer’s. At the Mayo Clinic in Florida researchers identified a gene, BACE2, which appeared to destroy beta-amyloid — a protein, then understood to be toxic, which is found in clusters in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer's is often diagnosed by measuring the amount of buildup of this protein. A large amount of it is an indicator of the disease. People with this buildup often do not have enough of the BACE2 enzyme created naturally in their body. If a way to synthesize this enzyme artificially or to prompt the body to create more were discovered, it could be hailed as a cure for Alzheimer's. How does the BACE2 enzyme work?

Answer 1

BACE2 cuts both beta-amyloid and beta-amyloid precursor protein.

Step-by-step explanation:

What makes BACE2 so effective in fighting Alzheimer's is its efficiency in cutting both beta-amyloid and the protein that develops it. There are other enzymes, which have the ability to break down beta-amyloid, but BACE2 is the only one that breaks it down into such small pieces that it completely destroys it. Furthermore, BACE2 is able to break down the beta-amyloid precursor protein, which prevents the formation of beta-amyloid from taking place.