A Brazilian study suggests that the hormone could reverse memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease | Science and health

"The great contribution of our study is that it is important to know that it is irisina which regulates the positive effects of physical exercise on the memory of mice, to show that the levels of this hormone are actually diminished in the brain of Patients with Alzheimer's disease.First of all, it was to study whether recovery of levels of this hormone in the brain of mice would be good for memory.And we saw that, in fact, if increase irisin levels, improve memory and, finally, it has been shown that irisin is exactly the intermediate between the beneficial effect of exercise and l '39; improved memory, "says UFRJ professor Sergio Ferreira, one of the authors of The study

There were already known other functions of irisin in various organs of the body, such as the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism and even processes occurring in the bones.

For authors Mychael Lourenço and Fernanda De Felice, both of the UFRJ, the results reinforce the importance of physical exercises in the fight against the disease. In addition, remember that the fact that irisin is produced by the body itself reduces the risk of side effects, which gives hope for new treatments.

"It is different from a drug developed in the lab, for example, because we in we know less about what can cause side effects Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment against Alzheimer's disease, so research is very important. "

According to De Felice, the novelty was become aware of the beneficial effects on the brain of irisin applied in mice and that produced by physical exercises. "

" Our results confirm the importance of physical activity to prevent memory loss and brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, as we have shown that Irisine administration could mimic, at least in animal models, the effects of

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by progressive death of brain cells, impairing functions such as memory, attention, orientation and language. Assumption that irisin could be important for Alzheimer's disease seven years ago when the hormone was discovered by a researcher It was found that it alleviated the symptoms of diabetes mellitus type 2 in the mouse.

"We knew that people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and that has long been without much explanation," explains Mychael Lourenço. "Studies from several labs have shown that it seems that the mechanisms that work in the body to generate type 2 diabetes are very similar to those that act in the brain to cause the disease." Alzheimer's, "explains the researcher.

Hence the possibility that the hormone has a protective effect on the brain. "Fortunately, we managed to find this relationship," says Lourenço.

In all, the study was conducted by 25 scientists from several countries, attended by Columbia University and the University of Kentucky, Queen's University and the University of Michigan. 39, University of Western Ontario, Canada, as well as Fiocruz and Instituto D'Or, both in Rio.

Although promising, the results require even more study before a treatment for patients can be implemented.

"Of course, we always have to keep in mind that our study was done on mice – and that what happens in mice does not always happen the same way in mice. man, "remembers Sergio Ferreira. For him, however, the clinical stage – where studies are done on human beings – may have difficulties in Brazil.

"I do not know if we could do it here, if we had the financial resources and the infrastructure to do it, it would certainly be in our interest, otherwise it is possible – done in other countries "he says. Despite this, Ferreira calculates that the planning of tests in humans does not take less than three or four years.

According to the Ministry of Health, about one million people in Brazil suffer from the disease, affecting 35 million people worldwide.

Ferreira believes that research is the result of the efforts of the team – which, even in the event of funding problems, manages to produce a quality science.

"We owe nothing to the best researchers in the world, the problem we have here is the lack of support for research activities, the resources available to fund research in our universities are very, very, very far below those of our counterparts in developed countries, and it takes months to get documents that often go far beyond what we would pay, "he said.