Alzheimer’s disease is a heartbreaking condition that causes memory loss and thinking problems.
There is no cure yet, and millions of people around the world are affected.
While scientists have long known that exercise is good for the brain, a new study now suggests that the secret to protecting the brain might lie not only in the brain itself—but also in our muscles.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University, together with scientists in Denmark, have found that a protein called Cathepsin B (Ctsb), released by muscles during exercise, may help protect against Alzheimer’s. This protein has been studied in cancer and brain injury before, but now scientists believe it may also help memory and brain health.
In the study, published in the journal Aging Cell, scientists used gene therapy to increase the amount of Ctsb in the muscles of mice that were bred to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. These mice usually show memory loss and build-up of harmful brain proteins, just like humans with the disease.
The results were surprising. The mice with higher levels of Ctsb in their muscles did not suffer memory loss. Their brains showed more new brain cells in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. Also, their brain and blood protein patterns looked more like those of healthy mice.
This suggests that increasing Ctsb in the muscles could help protect the brain. It also shows how powerful the connection is between the body and the brain. The researchers think that in the future, boosting this protein through gene therapy, medicine, or even exercise could be a way to slow or stop memory decline.
Dr. Henriette van Praag, one of the lead researchers, explained that this is the first time scientists have shown that raising levels of Cathepsin B in muscle can prevent memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s. She believes this could lead to new treatments that help the brain by targeting the muscles.
Interestingly, the treatment did not reduce common signs of Alzheimer’s, such as brain inflammation or plaque build-up. This means that Ctsb might protect memory in ways that scientists don’t fully understand yet—possibly by helping the brain grow new cells and improve how it communicates.
Another researcher, Dr. Atul Deshmukh, said that muscles do more than move our bodies. They also send signals to the brain. This discovery could open the door to new ways to treat brain diseases using the body’s own systems.
However, the treatment didn’t work the same way in healthy mice. In fact, in mice without Alzheimer’s, it seemed to hurt memory. This may be because the therapy works differently depending on the health of the muscle.
The researchers say more studies are needed, especially in humans, but this work adds to growing proof that muscle and brain health are connected. It also supports the idea that physical activity and muscle health are important not just for the body, but for the mind too.
Dr. Randy Blakely, director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, says this work is exciting because it helps explain how lifestyle choices like exercise can protect the brain. He believes that targeting muscle proteins like Cathepsin B could become a new, low-cost way to help people avoid or slow down memory loss.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods that reduce Alzheimer’s risk, and oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms.
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