The core of Alzheimer's disease is "lack of cleanness" in the brain cells


As all we know, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the common neurodegenerative disease, which is mainly characterized by failure of memory. And there has been no cure for AD so far. It is one of the global health concerns. The scientists have never stopped their pursuits of AD.

Earlier studies have demonstrated that AD is caused by an accumulation of tau and beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. So a lot of studies were focused on how the toxic plaques form. Depressingly, these studies did not achieve effective results. 

Lately, other scientists found that mitochondrial dysfunction can increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which drives the production of beta-amyloid protein, thus forming a vicious cycle that accelerates the pathology of AD. And they further confirmed that vitamin C deficiency leads to decreased mitochondrial respiration and increased ROS. 

Now, an international research team made up of representatives from the University of Copenhagen has further known about AD. They showed that the cleaning system in the brain cells of AD animals and humans is weakened. The cleaning system in the brain actually is a process called mitochondrial autophagy. When they improved the animals' mitochondrial autophagy, the symptoms of AD almost disappeared. 

Autophagy is an important pathway for cell-dependent lysosomes to degrade proteins and organelles. Currently, the approach that degrades mitochondria by autophagy is called mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy). Evidence from recent years suggests that mitochondrial autophagy is a specific selection process and is closely regulated by various factors. It is an important regulatory mechanism for cell clearance to damage mitochondria and maintains homeostasis.

In general, mitochondria live inside cells and work as the cells' energy factories. Mitochondrial autophagy breaks down defective mitochondria and reuses their proteins. Dysfunctional mitochondrial autophagy has been known from previous studies to be associated with poor function and viability of nerve cells, but so far has not been associated with AD. 

In a new study in the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, the research team reported ways to treat the disease by targeting the mitochondrial autophagy process.

If the cleaning system can not work normally, the damaged mitochondria accumulated in the brain, it would be dangerous. Many diseases are closely related to mitochondria injury. When the researchers improved the cleaning system of the experimental animals, observing that their AD symptoms nearly disappeared.

Next, the researchers also looked more closely at the cleaning of brain cells in deceased AD patients, Alzheimer's disease-induced stem cells, and living mice and AD roundworms. In addition, they tested experimental animals for active substances that target the cleaning system. They got the results that the cleaning system seems to be important in both humans and animals. They were excited to see that the memory and learning symptoms of central Alzheimer's disease can be improved in the living animals. 

In the new animal model, the researchers showed that the accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins slowed when mitochondrial autophagy was increased. And they thought the cleaning process is a potential target for Alzheimer's disease treatment and should be studied further. Following, they plan to start clinical trials in humans in the near future.

Cite this article

CUSABIO team. The core of Alzheimer's disease is "lack of cleanness" in the brain cells. https://www.cusabio.com/c-20845.html
 

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