A new study from Yale-NUS College is giving scientists a new way to think about what might cause Alzheimer’s disease.
This illness affects memory and thinking, especially in older people. It is the most common type of dementia and a big health concern around the world. In Singapore, about one in ten people over 60 has some form of dementia.
Scientists have been studying Alzheimer’s disease for more than 20 years, but they still don’t fully understand what causes it. There is also no cure yet. Most earlier research focused on a protein called amyloid-beta.
This protein builds up in the brain and forms clumps, or plaques, that can harm brain cells. But some researchers now believe that Alzheimer’s might begin with something else—trouble in how our cells create and use energy.
In this new study, scientists found signs of problems with cell metabolism before they saw big buildups of amyloid-beta. This means that the energy trouble in brain cells could happen first and might even cause the plaques to form later.
To explore this idea, the researchers used a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans. Even though these worms are very small, they share some important biological features with humans. That’s why scientists often use them to study human diseases.
One of the most interesting parts of the study was when the scientists gave the worms a drug called metformin. This drug is usually used to treat diabetes. When the worms took metformin, their energy problems improved. They also lived longer and stayed healthier.
This is exciting because it shows that treating energy issues in cells early on might help prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s. It could be more helpful to focus on fixing how cells make energy before memory problems even begin.
The researchers believe that Alzheimer’s might be closely tied to the aging process. If we treat the early changes that happen in cells as we get older, we might be able to stop or delay diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The study was led by Jan Gruber and published in the journal eLife. It challenges older ideas about Alzheimer’s disease and opens up new ways to treat it—by focusing on keeping our cells and metabolism healthy as we age.
This new research helps us see how different parts of the body work together. It also shows why it’s important to take care of our cells and keep them working well. That might be the key to staying mentally sharp as we grow older.
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.
