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.)]
