Researchers tackle age-related diseases

Scientists hope to prevent conditions like Alzheimer's

A new company which will develop treatments for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's is to be set up in Manchester.

Senexis, based at the city's UMIST university, will aim to create new drug treatments to tackle degenerative brain conditions.

The new company will operate with £1.4m of funding.

Parkinson's Disease, CJD and motor-neurone disease are other examples of illnesses which are caused by these conditions.

Scientists believe they are all caused by a condition called amyloidosis whereby specific proteins stick together to form toxic groups which kill brain cells.

Researchers hope new drugs will tackle this by preventing the proteins from sticking together.

Senexis Chief Scientific Officer Kelvin Stott said: "We are confident that our technology has the potential to yield effective treatments for all these currently incurable ageing-related diseases."