Scientists may have discovered the cause of Alzheimer’s disease

For years, scientists have studied how the buildup of toxic molecules in the brain could cause or contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. But much more difficult has been figuring out what triggers the process that causes these molecules to start building up in the first place.

Today, a team of researchers from Curtin University say that the “leak” of a toxic compound called beta-amyloid into the bloodstream could be the cause of the problem, according to a mouse study published this week. last in the log. PLOS Biology. While it’s not yet clear whether the same process occurs in humans, the discovery could give scientists a new way to track or monitor the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and, possibly, the help develop new treatments to prevent it.

“While we previously knew that the main hallmark of people living with Alzheimer’s disease was the gradual build-up of toxic protein deposits in the brain called beta-amyloid, researchers were unsure where amyloid came from,” or why it got deposited in the brain ”Study lead author and Curtin researcher John Mamo said in a press release.

Specifically, the team found that beta-amyloid, a compound that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and has long been associated with the onset of dementia, is formed in the brain. outside of the brain and then is transported into the bloodstream by lipoproteins.

In the new study, scientists found that these lipoproteins tend to leak, allowing toxic compounds to reach the brain and start to build up. Mice that had higher levels of amyloid production also showed a greater degree of inflammation in the brain, hinting at a link between the compound and the onset of neurodegenerative disease.

“This ‘blood-to-brain pathway’ is important because if we can manage the blood levels of amyloid lipoproteins and prevent their leakage into the brain, it opens up potential new treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and slow memory loss.” , Mamo said. added.

The same link would need to be confirmed in humans before anyone could talk about new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. But Mamo suggests in the press release that specific medications or even changes to his diet could reduce the amount of amyloid in his blood, potentially helping to prevent or at least delay Alzheimer’s disease – and that’s one great news in the fight against a particularly horrific disease.

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