For many years, scientists believed that the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, relied only on sugar—specifically glucose—for energy.
But a new study from the University of Queensland has challenged that idea and revealed that fats also play an important role in powering brain function. This finding could open the door to new treatments for serious brain disorders once considered untreatable.
The research was led by Dr. Merja Joensuu and published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
Dr. Joensuu and her team found that neurons also use fats, particularly small molecules called saturated free fatty acids, to produce the energy needed to send signals throughout the brain and body. These signals control everything from thoughts to movement.
This discovery is important because it shows that the brain has more than one energy source. While glucose is still vital, it turns out that fats are also key players in keeping neurons working properly. Understanding this second energy pathway could be the key to treating diseases that involve problems with brain metabolism.
The research focused on a rare genetic condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia type 54 (HSP54), which causes problems with movement and muscle control. People with HSP54 have a mutation in a gene called DDHD2.
This gene helps maintain the fat balance in the brain. When the DDHD2 gene doesn’t work, the brain cannot make or use fats properly, leading to damage in nerve cells and the development of the disease.
Dr. Joensuu’s team studied how this gene affects brain energy by using animal models. They found that neurons rely on the fatty acids produced by DDHD2 for energy. When this gene fails, neurons can’t get the fuel they need, which leads to communication breakdowns and nerve damage.
What’s exciting is that the scientists found a way to fix this problem. When they gave the animals supplements containing activated fatty acids, the neurons began to produce energy normally again—even with the faulty gene still present. Surprisingly, increasing sugar levels did not help. Only the fatty acids restored normal brain function.
This discovery represents a major shift in how we understand brain energy and disease. It suggests that in conditions like HSP54—where the fat-based energy system is broken—supplying the brain with the right kind of fats could repair the damage.
Dr. Joensuu says this opens up hope not only for people with HSP54, but also for other brain disorders where energy production is impaired. For example, diseases like Alzheimer’s are known to involve changes in brain metabolism. This fat-based energy pathway might be the missing piece in those conditions too.
The next step for the research team is to test whether the fatty acid treatment is safe and effective in more detailed preclinical studies. They also want to explore whether this newly discovered energy pathway plays a role in other brain diseases caused by metabolic problems.
In short, this research changes the way we think about how the brain gets its energy. It shows that fats—not just sugars—are essential to keeping neurons alive and healthy. If further studies confirm these results, it could lead to new treatments that help restore brain function in people with devastating neurological conditions.
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The study is published in Nature Metabolism.
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