According to a study published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, ganglioside GM2 activator (GM2A), a protein, was able to reduce neuronal firing and induce a loss of neurite integrity.

In the study, the researchers from the Brigham and Women′s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, exposed laboratory neurons to human brain extracts from 40 people. These participants either had Alzheimer′s disease (AD), were protected from AD despite having high Aβ and tau levels, or were protected from AD with little or no Aβ and tau in their brains.

The researchers explained that the ongoing research is focused on two key neurotoxic proteins: amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau. While these proteins are associated with AD, for some people with the disease, the levels of Aβ and tau do not consistently explain or correlate with the severity of the cognitive decline.

Hence, they designed the trial to identify other proteins that may be directly involved with fundamental aspects of AD, like synaptic loss and neurodegeneration. The study author noted that GM2A has previously been implicated as a causative agent in a lysosomal storage disorder very similar to Tay-Sachs disease. 

(Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-protein-contribute-alzheimer-disease.html )