2023-09-21 14:10:31
Every year on September 21, since 1994, World Alzheimer’s Day is celebrated. Around 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Two thirds of them live in developing countries. Given the aging population, this number will rise to approximately 139 million by 2050. The number of patients will increase especially sharply in China, India, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
Researchers around the world have been searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease for decades, but have made modest progress so far. Great hopes are placed on the new medical drug Lekanemab. The antibody, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023, may slow the progression of the disease in the early stages.
Complex processes in the brain
The development of effective drugs is complicated by the fact that all the brain processes involved in Alzheimer’s disease have not yet been identified. There is no answer yet to the question of why brain cells die in people with Alzheimer’s disease? Many abnormal proteins, called beta-amyloid and tau proteins, accumulate in the brains of patients with this diagnosis, but the direct connection between these two proteins was previously unclear.
Until now, the connection between amyloid proteins and tau in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients was unclear. Credit: Jens Wolf/dpa/picture-alliance
Cause of cell death revealed
Now Belgian and British researchers believe they have solved the mystery. According to a new study published in the journal Science Magazin, there is a direct link between abnormal proteins that accumulate in the brain and “necroptosis” – a type of cell death.
Typically, necroptosis ensures the removal of unwanted cells and the formation of new ones, especially during immune reactions or inflammatory processes. When the supply of nutrients is depleted, cells swell, thereby destroying their plasma membrane, causing inflammation and cell death.
Brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients become inflamed due to the accumulation of abnormal amyloid in the spaces between neurons, according to a study. This changes the internal chemistry of the cell.
Amyloid clumps together to form so-called “plaques,” and tau protein gathers into bundles of fibers called “tangles.” Thanks to this interaction, brain cells begin to produce the MEG3 molecule. If the research team was able to block MEG3, the brain cells also survived. To do this, the researchers transplanted human brain cells into the brains of genetically modified mice that produce particularly large amounts of abnormal amyloid.
In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, abnormal amyloid accumulates in the spaces between neurons. Photo: National Institute on Aging, NIH/AP/picture alliance
“For the first time, we have gained insight into how and why neurons die in Alzheimer’s disease. There has been a lot of speculation for three to four decades, but no one has been able to pinpoint the mechanisms,” said the scientist involved in the study, led by Professor Bart De Struper from British Dementia Research Institute.
Hopes for new drugs
Researchers from the University of Leuven in Belgium and the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London hope these new findings will lead to entirely new approaches to developing drugs once morest Alzheimer’s disease. The hope is not groundless, since a drug such as Lekanemab has recently been developed, which specifically targets the amyloid protein. If you can block the MEG3 molecule with appropriate drugs, you can stop the death of brain cells.
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Photo gallery: Natural vitamins for healthy success
Avocado, blueberries, ginger – all these products are now called “superfoods”. They have super properties, which, however, have not been scientifically proven. What’s good regarding them?
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Promising berries came to us from South America. They are said to work wonders in helping you lose weight. But that is not all. Thanks to the high content of antioxidants in acai berries (lat. Euterpe oleracea), you can stop time: avoid the formation of wrinkles, improve the overall tone of the body and remain forever slim and young. But this has not yet been scientifically proven.
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This fruit is considered one of the most fat-containing. At the same time, the unsaturated fats of avocados (lat. Persēa americāna) have a very beneficial effect on our body, reducing cholesterol in the blood. The pulp of the avocado fruit is rich in vitamins necessary to strengthen the immune system and nervous system, as well as potassium, which improves heart function.
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Chia seeds (lat. Salvia hispanica) are considered real “all-rounders”. The seeds, which are completely neutral in taste, are credited with truly magical properties. According to experts, the Aztecs have used chia seeds (or Spanish sage) for food since ancient times. The highly nutritious miracle seed is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (Omega 3, Omega 6), calcium and important microelements.
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Another exotic superfood is goji berries (lat. Lýcium bárbarum), better known as wolfberry, a non-poisonous relative of the wolfberry. Juice made from wolfberry berries has been used since ancient times as a general tonic. Recently, berries have been glorified as a “cure for all diseases”, but there is no scientific support for this statement yet.
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Kale
Grunkol (lat. Brassica oleracea) is a winter type of cabbage, popular in Germany. After the first frost it acquires a sweetish taste. Cabbage is rightfully considered a real vitamin “bomb”: 100 grams is enough to provide the body with a daily dose of vitamin C. In addition, curly cabbage contains enough vitamin A, iron and calcium.
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Blueberries (lat. Vaccínium myrtíllus) contain more antioxidants than any other fruit and vegetable. An ideal preventative once morest colds and cardiovascular diseases, skin allergies. According to experts, this is an excellent vitamin for our brain. Blueberries are slightly inferior to dark and red berries: currants, blackberries, cranberries, lingonberries…
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The beneficial effect of ginger (lat. Zīngiber officināle) for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract has long been known. This explains the popularity of its use, both in cooking, as a seasoning, and in medicine. Hot tea made from fresh ginger root with a slice of lemon and a spoon of honey warms and helps cope with colds and coughs. This is a real elixir of vivacity.
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Legends can be made regarding the benefits of turmeric (lat. Cúrcuma): in India, the plant is considered sacred. It is used as a seasoning for almost every dish. The bright yellow powder of the dried turmeric rhizome is used in spicy mixtures known as curries. Turmeric promotes digestion. In medicine it is used as an anti-inflammatory and detoxifying agent.
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Almonds (lat. Prunus dulcis) have long been considered a very healthy product. Almond kernels are not only a popular delicacy that quickly satisfies hunger. They are widely used in cooking, and healthy almond oil is used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of sedatives and anti-inflammatory drugs. Almonds are believed to help prevent diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
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The grains of the South American cereal plant quinoa (lat. Chenopōdium quīnoa) or quinoa, also nicknamed “rice quinoa,” are famous for their high content of protein, phosphorus, iron, calcium and zinc, as well as the complete absence of gluten. In addition, the inconspicuous-looking grains contain all the important amino acids and antioxidants – the enemies of free radicals.
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