Alzheimer’s disease mostly affects older people. It causes serious problems like memory loss, confusion, and big changes in behavior. It is the main cause of dementia, which is a group of brain disorders that make it hard for people to think clearly and take care of themselves.
Even though scientists have studied Alzheimer’s for many years, finding a cure has been very difficult. Researchers around the world are still trying to understand what causes this disease in the first place.
In the past, most studies focused on two main ideas about what triggers Alzheimer’s. One idea is that a sticky protein called amyloid-beta builds up in the brain. This buildup blocks brain cells from talking to each other properly, leading to the problems we see in Alzheimer’s patients.
A newer idea points to a different problem: trouble with mitochondria. Mitochondria are tiny parts inside cells that produce the energy the body needs to work. If mitochondria stop working well, the whole cell can suffer.
A new study led by Jan Gruber from Yale-NUS College has given scientists fresh reasons to believe that problems with energy production in cells might come first, even before amyloid-beta starts to build up.
To study this, researchers used a very small worm called Caenorhabditis elegans. Even though it is tiny, this worm shares many important features with human cells, making it a good model for research.
The scientists found that in these worms, problems with producing energy inside the cells showed up before any signs of amyloid-beta buildup. This was a major discovery because it suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction could be the real trigger that starts the disease process.
One of the most exciting parts of the study involved the drug Metformin. Metformin is a medicine commonly used to treat people with diabetes. When the researchers gave Metformin to the worms, it helped fix their energy problems.
As a result, the worms lived longer and healthier lives. This finding suggests that if we can fix mitochondrial problems early, it might be possible to prevent Alzheimer’s before it even starts.
The study also hints at something even bigger. It suggests that Alzheimer’s and other diseases that come with aging might not be completely separate problems. Instead, they could all be different signs of the same underlying issue—how our cells and bodies change as we get older.
If that is true, then treatments that slow down aging at the cellular level might also prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.
This discovery is a big step forward because it offers scientists a new path to follow. Instead of focusing only on getting rid of amyloid-beta, researchers might start working more on keeping mitochondria healthy and making sure our cells produce energy properly.
However, it is important to remember that what works in worms does not always work the same way in people. More studies are needed to test if these ideas are safe and effective in humans.
The study was published in the scientific journal eLife and gives hope that we are getting closer to understanding Alzheimer’s in a whole new way. Even though we still have a lot to learn, this research adds an important piece to the puzzle. It gives hope that one day, we might be able to prevent or even cure this heartbreaking disease.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies that bad lifestyle habits can cause Alzheimer’s disease, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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