Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have found a new “energy switch” in immune cells in the brain, which could help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Their discovery may lead to new treatments for the condition, which is the most common form of dementia.
The brain contains special immune cells called microglia, which help protect it by clearing out harmful waste. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, these cells become damaged and are less effective at removing toxic proteins that build up and contribute to the disease.
The scientists found that by blocking this newly discovered “energy switch,” they could restore microglia’s ability to remove harmful substances from the brain.
The key to this process is a protein called the translocator protein. It is found in the parts of immune cells that generate energy. The researchers discovered that without this protein, microglia struggle to produce energy and cannot efficiently clear toxic waste. This may cause Alzheimer’s disease to progress more quickly.
They also identified an enzyme called hexokinase-2, which helps cells process sugar. When the translocator protein is missing, this enzyme becomes active. However, instead of helping microglia function better, it actually forces them to rely on an inefficient way of producing energy. This makes them less effective at clearing harmful proteins from the brain.
To better control this process, the researchers designed a tool that uses blue light to manipulate hexokinase-2. When they shined blue light on a genetically modified version of this enzyme, it stopped attaching to the energy-producing parts of microglia.
This forced the cells to switch to a better way of producing energy, improving their ability to remove beta-amyloid, a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that this method boosted beta-amyloid clearance by nearly 20%.
The team hopes that in the future, drugs could be developed to target this process and improve the metabolism of immune cells in the brain. Since Alzheimer’s disease currently has no cure, these findings could be a step toward new treatments that slow its progression.
According to the World Health Organization, around 78 million people worldwide are expected to have dementia by 2030. While more research is needed, this discovery offers hope that targeting microglia metabolism could be a new way to fight Alzheimer’s disease.
This study was conducted by Lauren H. Fairley and her team and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about Vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and Oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and results showing flavonoid-rich foods could improve survival in Parkinson’s disease.
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