Researchers from Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital discovered that the exercise-induced hormone, irisin, lowers levels of a main component in the plaques found in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
Using a 3D human neural cell culture model, researchers showed that this hormone leads to the production of the enzyme neprilysin, which decreases the presence of amyloid beta, according to the study, which was published Sept. 8 in the journal Neuron.
The findings could reveal "a new target pathway for therapies aimed at the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease," Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, a senior author of the study and the director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, said in a press release.