'Pac-Man' enzyme may eat away at Alzheimer's
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Apr 27th 2009 at 6:15PM }
Researchers from Florida's Mayo Clinic have figured out a way to break down amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer's. An insulin-degrading enzyme nicknamed "Pac-Man" works very much like the classic video game character by opening and closing, "gobbling up" amyloid proteins. Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, called this new finding "fascinating," but noted that "the work is at very early stages in the laboratory."
We're all for naming potentially life-saving treatments after video game characters. Imagine the Katamari cure for cancer, or the Yoshi cure for the common cold. We're pretty sure even anti-game lobbyists would have to approve of our hobby then, right?
[Thanks, Andrew! (No, I'm not thanking myself.)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
The Dark Wayne @ Apr 27th 2009 6:23PM
I'm sorry but
OM NOM NOM
Weezer @ Apr 27th 2009 6:26PM
It had to be done
LeMuRfArT @ Apr 27th 2009 6:29PM
yay! now i can keep using my anti-persperant that actually works as apposed to that crap without aluminum in it.
FinalFan3 @ Apr 27th 2009 6:45PM
Ha I was just revising amyloid protein plaques today! Exam on Wed!
Does reading Joystiq count as revision now? :D
PR0F3TA @ Apr 27th 2009 6:31PM
donno why but i'm scared
F1: Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu @ Apr 27th 2009 6:32PM
So would the Ghosts be White-blood cells.
And if you eat various fruits would the enzyme destroy those to? 0_0
F1: Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu @ Apr 27th 2009 6:32PM
Wouldn't the Katamari cure for cancer cause huge tumors?
derdaim @ Apr 27th 2009 6:44PM
I also think, that not the cure but the "katamari cancer" would be quite deadly...
J-Link @ Apr 27th 2009 6:43PM
I never thought I would read about Alzheimers at joystiq.
Dopple Boppler @ Apr 27th 2009 7:06PM
There's a good joke here, I just forgot it after I clicked reply.
THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 27th 2009 8:28PM
there was an article about that model with alzheimer's that was into gaming.
Chris Wilkerson @ Apr 27th 2009 6:54PM
You should see Rogue Breweries' pacman yeast. Do a lookup for it on google
"pac-man yeast"
mr mobius @ Apr 27th 2009 7:17PM
Certainly beats the Sonic the Hedgehog gene.
philmcphail @ Apr 27th 2009 7:25PM
http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/pac-man-skeleton.jpg
THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 27th 2009 8:28PM
haha
Manly Mcbeefigan (Mr. ESC) @ Apr 27th 2009 7:42PM
Well is not the first time scientist name discoveries like videogame characters,see Sonic Hedgehog and Robotnikinin
Jeffrey @ Apr 27th 2009 8:00PM
I hope this doesn't show my school nerdiness, but actually this kind of interactions with very small organisms are very common, and were even more common in the past.
In fact, it's how Scientists think that life went from being simple single celled things, to being complex single celled things.
I hope this works well; if there's one disease that scares me it's Alzheimer's.
HMoth84 @ Apr 27th 2009 8:33PM
"ba-plink"
:: Achievement Unlocked - 1000G You Cured Alzheimer's ::
Saria the Cat @ Apr 27th 2009 8:34PM
Whoa, I just had a lecture on Alzheimer's last week. This is huge news! Researchers have been struggling to just achieve being able to SEE the plaque (amyloid proteins) in the brain, let alone find a cure. AD is a big problem --- it's scarily common and hard to detect whether or not you will inherit it. It begins with basic "forgetting" and transforms into a monster that eats your personality and life along with your brain. :(
Nook @ Apr 27th 2009 9:55PM
we create a cure then 10 more ailments are created from said cure. we should leave well enough alone.
while i am all for quality of life, i can't help but wonder how much worse we're making things, of course there are very few of you awake - so i guess the proper comment here would read:
"yay!"