Some cognitive organs are better at processing neurological debris
Scientists have found that in some people the changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease occur without any symptoms, as if their brains are more resistant to this disease. New research shows how this mysterious phenomenon may point the way to a cure.
A team of researchers led by scientists from the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience examined samples of brain tissue stored in the Netherlands Brain Bank, a repository of donated brains from more than 5,000 people who died from brain diseases.
Among these thousands of samples, the team found only 12 people who were healthy for the rest of their lives, although they still had clear neurological signs of the pathology underlying their disease.
In addition to demonstrating how rare it is for the brain to escape the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease, the small sample gave the team the opportunity find out what can make such a brain so resilient.
“What was happening to these people at the molecular and cellular levels was unclear,” explains neuroscientist Luuk de Vries at the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience. “So we looked for donors with brain tissue abnormalities who did not experience cognitive decline at the Brain Bank.”
This type of resilience has been noted before, and it is believed that both the genetics we are born with and the lifestyle we choose can have some influence. These various factors are also associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease in general.
By analyzing unique combinations of hundreds of genes, researchers have discovered key differences in viable brains related to astrocytes, which are involved in clearing waste from the brain. Moreover, the resistant body was better able to remove toxic proteins associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. It seems that such a brain is better able to cope with the accumulation of “neurological garbage.”
Another difference was the more efficient energy production of resilient brain cells. It is not yet clear what is behind these differences and how they relate to Alzheimer's disease, but identifying these differences is an important first step.
“If we can find the molecular basis of resistance, then we will have new starting points for “Developing drugs that could activate processes associated with resistance in patients with Alzheimer's disease,” says de Vries.
Alzheimer's disease currently affects about 47 million people worldwide, and this number is growing rapidly . Scientists are still unsure what combination of factors is required for the progression of degeneration, how to prevent the disease from occurring, or how its effects can be reversed.
“From human data, it remains difficult to determine which process initiates disease,” de Vries concludes. “This can only be demonstrated by changing something in cells or animal models and seeing what happens next.” This is the first thing we must do now.”
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