A new study suggests that increasing omega-3 fatty acids in the brain could help slow the progression of motor neuron disease (MND).
Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that boosting these “healthy fats” significantly improved survival in fruit flies and human brain cells affected by the disease.
The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, provides new insights into how fats influence MND and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two related neurodegenerative diseases.
How Omega-3s May Help in MND
MND, which includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a progressive disease that leads to muscle weakness and loss of movement. It affects 1 in 300 people over their lifetime, and currently, there are no treatments that can stop or slow the disease.
Scientists have long suspected that dietary omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods like fish, nuts, and seeds, may lower the risk of developing MND or help patients live longer. However, the reasons behind this were unclear.
To investigate, researchers studied fruit flies with a genetic mutation called C9orf72, which is the most common genetic cause of MND and FTD. They also analyzed brain cells collected from people with these conditions. Both the flies and human brain cells showed low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s.
The team then conducted two key experiments:
- Feeding the flies omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: The researchers added alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 found in flaxseed and soybeans) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 found in vegetable oils) to the flies’ diet. This led to a small improvement in their survival.
- Increasing fatty acid levels inside brain cells: Instead of relying on diet, the scientists used genetic techniques to directly boost omega-3 production in the flies’ brain cells. This had a dramatic effect, increasing their survival by 83%, from 15 days to 27.5 days.
When they repeated the experiment on human brain cells from MND and FTD patients, they found that increasing omega-3s prolonged cell survival by 30%.
What This Means for MND Research
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain cell health and could be a potential treatment avenue for MND and FTD.
Professor Adrian Isaacs, the study’s lead author, explained:
“People with a high intake of omega-3s have been shown to have a lower risk of MND. Our study helps us understand why this might be happening. The next step is to find out which specific fatty acid is most beneficial for humans and how we can effectively deliver it to the brain.”
The study also highlights that simply eating more omega-3-rich foods may not be enough. Instead, researchers need to find ways to increase fatty acid levels directly in the brain to maximize their benefits.
A Step Toward New Treatments
While this research is still in the early stages, it lays the foundation for future therapies based on lipid metabolism (fat processing in the brain).
Professor Martin Giera from Leiden University Medical Center noted:
“Our study shows that treating neurodegenerative diseases like MND isn’t just about giving the brain more healthy fats. It’s about carefully adjusting lipid levels in the right places.”
Dr. Julia Dudley from Alzheimer’s Research UK added that since MND and dementia share similar genetic changes, this discovery could lead to new treatment strategies for other brain diseases as well.
What’s Next?
The researchers plan to:
- Identify the most effective omega-3 fatty acid for human trials
- Find the best way to deliver it to the brain
- Conduct clinical trials to test its effects in MND and FTD patients
If future studies confirm these benefits, omega-3-based therapies could become a new tool in the fight against MND, a disease that currently has no cure.
The research findings can be found in Nature Neuroscience.
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