Alzheimer’s disease is the most common brain condition that leads to memory loss and confusion in older people. It is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. For more than twenty years, scientists across the globe have been trying to find out what causes Alzheimer’s and how to treat it. However, the exact cause is still unknown, and there is still no cure.
For a long time, many researchers believed that Alzheimer’s is caused by the build-up of a sticky protein called amyloid-beta in the brain. These protein clumps are often found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and were thought to damage brain cells, leading to memory loss and other problems.
But another theory has gained attention more recently. This newer idea suggests that Alzheimer’s may actually begin with problems in how cells make and use energy. Specifically, it focuses on damage to tiny parts of cells called mitochondria.
Mitochondria are like power plants for our cells—they create the energy needed for cells to work properly. When mitochondria stop working well, it could affect the entire brain, possibly leading to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
A recent study by researchers from Yale-NUS College supports this new idea. The team found that problems with cell energy use—called metabolic dysfunction—may come before any major increase in amyloid-beta proteins. In other words, the energy problems might start first, and the protein build-up could happen later.
To investigate this, the scientists used a small roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans (or C. elegans). Even though these worms are tiny and simple, their cells share many basic functions with human cells, especially when it comes to aging and brain health. This makes them a useful model for studying diseases.
The researchers found that the worms began showing signs of energy-related problems before there were any clear signs of amyloid-beta build-up. This was a big clue that energy dysfunction might be a key cause of Alzheimer’s.
What was even more surprising was what happened next. When the scientists treated the worms with a common diabetes drug called Metformin, the energy problems were fixed. The worms lived longer and stayed healthier. This suggests that improving how cells use energy might help prevent or delay the disease.
The team believes that it may be more effective to target these early changes in metabolism—especially in the mitochondria—before any brain damage or memory loss begins. They argue that instead of waiting for symptoms to appear, we should focus on preventing the disease by keeping mitochondria healthy as we age.
The study also points out that these kinds of energy problems are not just related to Alzheimer’s. They are a normal part of aging.
That means many age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s, may be better understood as part of the aging process itself. So, if scientists can find ways to slow down aging at the cellular level, it might help prevent many diseases, not just one.
This research was led by Dr. Jan Gruber and his team and was published in the scientific journal eLife. While more studies are needed, the findings offer a new and hopeful direction for understanding and possibly preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease, and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
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