One of the most painful experiences for families of Alzheimer’s patients is when a loved one no longer recognizes them.
New research from the University of Virginia may help explain why this happens—and bring hope for future treatments.
The study was led by Dr. Harald Sontheimer and graduate student Lata Chaunsali from UVA’s School of Medicine. Their work shows that when certain protective structures in the brain break down, it may cause people to forget familiar faces.
In experiments with mice, when these brain structures were kept intact, the animals were able to remember each other. This suggests that damage to these structures might be one of the reasons people with Alzheimer’s lose personal memories.
These brain structures are called perineuronal nets. They surround nerve cells in the brain and help protect them. They also help nerve cells communicate properly, which is key for forming and keeping memories.
Earlier research by the same team had already shown how important these nets are for brain health. In their latest study, they focused on what happens when these nets are damaged.
The researchers found that mice with damaged perineuronal nets lost what’s called “social memory.” They could no longer recognize other mice they had met before.
However, they were still able to remember objects in their environment. This is very similar to what happens in people with Alzheimer’s disease—often, the ability to remember loved ones fades before other types of memory.
Alzheimer’s disease currently affects about 55 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. To fight back, UVA has created a new center focused on developing treatments for brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
The promising part of this research is that scientists may already have a way to protect the perineuronal nets. Sontheimer and his team tested a group of drugs known as MMP inhibitors.
These drugs are already being studied for other diseases like cancer and arthritis. When given to the mice, the drugs stopped further damage to the brain nets and helped the animals remember their past social experiences.
Chaunsali explained that the earlier in life these structures were protected, the better the results. Mice treated early were much better at remembering their social interactions. This finding offers hope for a new approach to treating or even preventing Alzheimer’s.
Of course, turning this discovery into a medicine for people will take time. The drugs will need more testing to make sure they are safe and effective in humans. Still, the researchers are hopeful.
One reason this study is exciting is that the damage to perineuronal nets happened without the presence of amyloid plaques—sticky protein clumps that have long been blamed for Alzheimer’s. This adds to the idea that amyloid may not be the main cause of the disease, and that scientists need to look at other possible causes.
In the meantime, this research opens the door to a new way of thinking about Alzheimer’s. Instead of focusing only on brain plaques, we may need to also focus on protecting the brain’s natural structure. If scientists can find a way to do that, it might help people with Alzheimer’s keep the memories that matter most—their connections with the people they love.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
The study is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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