Dutch scientists think they may have discovered clues to the cause of brain diseases like Alzheimer's, which may even have huge implications for future treatment of cancer.

The discoveries concern the disease not being caused by defective genes, as is usually thought, but in the messages the genes send to the brain and the body.

If these messages, described as chemical rubbish, 'clog up', they can cause the brain to malfunction, the research has shown. The process has been likened to having no-one to put the rubbish bin out.

Research for therapy may have to take new directions

There are more than 20 million Alzheimer's sufferers around the world, and numbers are increasing as the population gets older. Sometimes the disease is caused by an inherited genetic mutation, but more often there is no family history of the disease.

Dr Fred van Leeuwen, of the Netherlands Institute for Brain Research in Amsterdam, believes the breakthrough could have wider implications than just for Alzheimer's sufferers.

A general phenomenon

"I can tell you that preliminary data with transgenic animals indicates that this effect we have discovered is not restricted to brain cells. It's a general phenomenon.

"And so I can say that other age-related diseases such as cancer may, well let's say it, be caused by a similar sort of mechanism," he said.

The implications could be huge for future cancer research, possibly making it backtrack and go off in new directions.

For the moment, however, Dr Leeuwen's team are looking for ways to put their findings to work in treating Alzheimers, although he warns it could be some years -- if ever -- before treatments are devised.

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