Two Korean scientists in the U.S. have discovered a self-defense mechanism in the brain that defends against chemical attacks brought on by cerebral diseases.

Ryu Hoon and Lee Jung-hee, both professors at Boston University's medical school, said their tests had revealed that mitochondria in the brain produced defensive genes in reaction to protein materials called “Creb”, thus beating back harmful oxidative stress.

The stress is known as the main culprit behind cerebral nerve afflictions such as Alzheimer’s, strokes, and Parkinson’s disease.

Ryu said successful research in the future would open the way to the development of new drugs to effectively combat the deadly diseases.

The finding was posted on the website for the proceedings of the American National Academy of Sciences on September 16th.