New Alzheimer's Culprit Identified

More than half a million people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms of this disease, including memory loss and communication problems, are due to sticky protein build ups within the brain, called amyloid plaques. These plaques cause damage to nerve cells and are a hallmark feature of the disease. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, researchers at Yale University School of Medicine have made a striking discovery about the role of cellular garbage disposal units, called lysosomes, in the formation of these plaques. Lead researcher on the study, Shawn Ferguson explained to Stevie Bain exactly how these lysosomes are involved.