Scientists have identified a key cellular mechanism driving the most common cause of dementia. Researchers at The City University of New York (CUNY ASRC) found that stress in the brain correlates with the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, published in the journal Neuron, suggests that microglia – the brain’s immune cells – play a crucial role in both protective and detrimental responses to the condition. However, some microglia can damage neurons and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, leading to neurodegeneration.
By deciphering the operational differences between two types of microglial cells, the research team discovered a stress-related signalling pathway that prompts microglia to produce toxic lipids. Blocking this pathway reversed symptoms in preclinical models.
The study also identified an accumulation of “dark microglia” – a subset of microglia associated with cellular stress and neurodegeneration – in postmortem brain tissues from Alzheimer’s patients. The researchers say their findings highlight the potential of developing drugs that target specific microglial populations or their stress-induced mechanisms, offering hope for new treatments to slow or reverse Alzheimer’s disease progression.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1993974/new-alzheimer-s-hope-study-finds-key-reversing-disease