Researchers in Mexico are using venom found in lionfish spines to understand how neurons in the brain are affected during Alzheimer’s disease.
Lionfish have recently become of interest to research groups studying neurological diseases due to how their venom affects the brain.
By studying the effect of the venom in zebrafish, the group from Cinvestav Unidad, Mérida, found that it was able to stop transmission of messages in the brain that control movement, attention and learning in a way similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
They hope that by using this model of Alzheimer’s disease they will be able to study the progression of the disease, and potentially identify new avenues for treatment.