Finding a new potential culprit of Alzheimer's disease

Analyzing donated human brain tissue, American scientists have found a new direction that could create a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's .

Research led by the University of Washington (USA), published in the scientific journal Nature Aging, found differences in the way microglia cells function in brains with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy brains.

Microglia are immune cells that help keep our brains healthy by removing waste and maintaining normal brain function.

From left: Healthy brain cells, Alzheimer's cells and cells that die due to "engulfment" by microglia - (Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY).

In response to infection or to remove dead cells, they can "morph" to become more favorable and mobile to engulf things that are harmful to the brain.

They also "prune" synapses during development, helping to form smoother, better-functioning brain circuits.

To dig deeper into the role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease, neuroscientists analyzed brain tissue from donors, including 12 people with Alzheimer's disease and 10 healthy controls.

They used snRNA-seq , a gene expression analysis method, to deeply identify 10 different microglia clusters in brain tissue based on their unique gene expression sets, which direct the cells' activity.

Three of the clusters had never been seen before, and one of them was more common in people with Alzheimer's disease. This type of microglia has activated genes that are linked to inflammation and cell death.

Overall, the researchers found that microglia clusters of this type in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease were more likely to be in a proinflammatory state.

This means they are more likely to over-produce inflammatory molecules, which instead of protecting the body, can damage brain cells and contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease. .

In addition, the types of microglia in the brains of Alzheimer's patients also function less effectively than normal people. Ineffective cleaning lowers your chances of having a healthy aging brain.

Currently, the authors cannot confirm 100% that they are the direct cause of Alzheimer's, or how they are changed by this incurable disease. However, it is clear that the two issues are closely related.

So tracking changes in microglia over time could help us understand how they contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer's and other dementias are ranked 7th among the leading causes of premature death and are on the rise worldwide.

According to Science Alert , this research is still in its early stages, but it advances our understanding of the role these cells play in Alzheimer's disease and suggests that some microglia clusters may be targets for targeted approaches. new treatment.