illustration (IMAGE) UT Southwestern Medical Center Caption Abnormal deposits of the protein amyloid beta in the brain have been linked to Alzheimer's disease. The above illustration reveals a potential way discovered by UTSW researchers to stop this process, leveraging the protective nature of the protein transthyretin (TTR) to identify a segment of this protein, TTR-S, that halts plaque formation and facilitates its degradation in a test tube. Credit UT Southwestern Medical Center Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.