University of Bath - Help for the aged

Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cancer. The gel electrophoresis technique involves blood samples being placed in a thin layer of gel and exposed to an electric current. The gel acts like a molecular sieve, sorting proteins from the samples according to their size and shape. It is hoped that identifying "glycated" proteins that have reacted with sugars in the body will help scientists to develop new treatments for a range of conditions.