{
  "id": 8875267,
  "title": "Alzheimer's patients show elevated active meprin-β in brain and cerebrospinal fluid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/alzheimers-patients-show-elevated-active-meprin-in-brain-and",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-21T08:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-alzheimer-patients-elevated-meprin-brain.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A team of researchers from the Altered Molecular Mechanism in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia laboratory identified elevated levels of the protein meprin-β in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. This discovery, published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, suggests a possible relationship between meprin-β and beta-amyloid, a hallmark of the disease. Meprin-β is an enzyme that can exist in different forms, and the researchers specifically analyzed its mature, active form. The study found that this active form of meprin-β increases in the more advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, while no such increase was observed in the early stages. Additionally, the researchers detected an increase in the messenger RNA (MEP1B) responsible for producing meprin-β at intermediate and advanced stages. The elevated levels of active meprin-β in cerebrospinal fluid, obtained through lumbar puncture, could potentially serve as an indicator of the disease's progression.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}