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Alzheimer’s damage may begin outside the brain
Confirmed
In Short: New research highlights the importance of early biomarkers and potential environmental factors in Alzheimer’s disease.
Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, such as beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, are crucial indicators of the disease’s presence and progression. According to Being Patient, these plaques and tangles are sticky protein fragments that clump together between nerve cells, interfering with communication and leading to inflammation and brain cell death. Inflammation, another key biomarker, can be detected through blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and advanced brain imaging techniques.
A recent study published in General Psychiatry by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation found that exposure to bright daylight may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The study, which followed over 700 participants, indicated that those with more exposure to outdoor light were less likely to develop these conditions. This suggests that environmental factors, such as light exposure, could play a significant role in brain health.
In a related study, researchers at the Fisher Center identified a microprotein atlas of the human frontal cortex in Alzheimer’s disease, published in Nature Aging. The study, led by Brendan Miller, PhD, revealed new microproteins that could provide insights into the disease’s mechanisms. This research highlights the importance of continued investigation into the biological underpinnings of Alzheimer’s.
Encephalopathy, a form of neonatal brain damage, is a leading cause of newborn death and disability. According to Open Access Government, inadequate blood flow and oxygen delivery to the baby’s brain can lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a potentially fatal condition. Lee Martin’s lab is investigating the hypothesis that TDP43 abnormalities contribute to the persistent and propagative brain injury in neonatal HIE, similar to its role in other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The vulnerability of specific brain regions in neonatal HIE, particularly sensory and movement-control regions, is well-documented. As with other neurodegenerative diseases, damage in neonatal HIE is progressive and protracted, evolving over time. This pattern of selective vulnerability is also observed in Alzheimer’s disease, where certain brain pathways are more sensitive to damage. However, the exact causes and mechanisms remain unclear, hindering the development of effective therapeutics.
In 2023, neurologist David Holtzman and colleagues demonstrated that immune system T cells accumulate around tau tangles, suggesting that they might contribute to the damage. This finding, published in Science News, highlights the potential role of the immune system in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The brain slice depicted on the right, from a mouse in which the early stage of T cell attack was blocked, provides visual evidence of this interaction.
These studies underscore the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease and the need for continued research into early biomarkers and potential environmental factors. By understanding the mechanisms behind the disease, researchers hope to develop more effective treatments and preventive strategies.
What's confirmed
- Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, such as beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, are crucial indicators of the disease’s presence and progression. According to Being Patient, these plaques and tangles are sticky protein fragments that clump together between nerve cells, interfering with communication and leading to inflammation and brain cell death. Inflammation, another key biomarker, can be detected through blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and advanced brain imaging techniques.
- A recent study published in General Psychiatry by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation found that exposure to bright daylight may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The study, which followed over 700 participants, indicated that those with more exposure to outdoor light were less likely to develop these conditions. This suggests that environmental factors, such as light exposure, could play a significant role in brain health.
- In a related study, researchers at the Fisher Center identified a microprotein atlas of the human frontal cortex in Alzheimer’s disease, published in Nature Aging. The study, led by Brendan Miller, PhD, revealed new microproteins that could provide insights into the disease’s mechanisms. This research highlights the importance of continued investigation into the biological underpinnings of Alzheimer’s.
- Encephalopathy, a form of neonatal brain damage, is a leading cause of newborn death and disability. According to Open Access Government, inadequate blood flow and oxygen delivery to the baby’s brain can lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a potentially fatal condition. Lee Martin’s lab is investigating the hypothesis that TDP43 abnormalities contribute to the persistent and propagative brain injury in neonatal HIE, similar to its role in other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- The vulnerability of specific brain regions in neonatal HIE, particularly sensory and movement-control regions, is well-documented. As with other neurodegenerative diseases, damage in neonatal HIE is progressive and protracted, evolving over time. This pattern of selective vulnerability is also observed in Alzheimer’s disease, where certain brain pathways are more sensitive to damage. However, the exact causes and mechanisms remain unclear, hindering the development of effective therapeutics.
- In 2023, neurologist David Holtzman and colleagues demonstrated that immune system T cells accumulate around tau tangles, suggesting that they might contribute to the damage. This finding, published in Science News, highlights the potential role of the immune system in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The brain slice depicted on the right, from a mouse in which the early stage of T cell attack was blocked, provides visual evidence of this interaction.
- These studies underscore the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease and the need for continued research into early biomarkers and potential environmental factors. By understanding the mechanisms behind the disease, researchers hope to develop more effective treatments and preventive strategies.
What's still developing
- Tau tangles, also known as neurofibrillary tangles, are twisted fibers of abnormal tau protein that build up inside brain cells.
- Researchers look for elevated inflammatory markers such as cytokines or proteins like YKL-40 and GFAP, which may indicate brain inflammation linked to neurodegeneration.
- Click on our interactive guide on the Science of Alzheimer’s to learn more.
- “We were able to take all these technologies and tools and reapply them to existing data from nearly 500 brains to find new microproteins,” said first and co-corresponding author Brendan Miller, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Saghatelian’s lab.
- For a long time, it has been known that specific regions of the brain and neural pathways are vulnerable in the infant brain depending on the onset and severity of physiological perturbation.
- Despite this seemingly important role, the researchers found few dendritic cells in the mice’s brains.
- Instead, they detected threat-mimicking brain proteins traveling to the lymph nodes, where dendritic cells used them to rally T cells.