Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have made a breakthrough that could change the way we treat Alzheimer’s disease and similar brain disorders.
They discovered that a molecule in the immune system, called STING, plays a major role in the brain damage seen in Alzheimer’s.
When researchers blocked this molecule in lab mice, it helped protect their brains and prevented memory loss.
STING is normally part of the body’s defense system. It helps fight off viruses and get rid of damaged cells. However, in Alzheimer’s disease, STING becomes overactive. Instead of helping, it causes inflammation in the brain and damages neurons.
This overreaction may explain why Alzheimer’s becomes more common with age — as we get older, DNA damage in brain cells increases, triggering more STING activity.
The research team, led by Dr. John Lukens, found that too much STING activity speeds up the buildup of harmful plaques and tangles in the brain. These plaques and tangles are the main features of Alzheimer’s. By blocking STING, the scientists were able to reduce this damage.
They also saw changes in brain immune cells called microglia. These cells became less active around the plaques, and nearby neurons were protected from further harm. Even better, the mice performed better in memory tests, suggesting their brains were working more normally.
This discovery points to STING as a promising target for future Alzheimer’s treatments. Most treatments focus on either amyloid plaques or tau tangles. STING affects both, which could make it more powerful than other treatment targets. STING-related treatments may also work throughout different stages of the disease, instead of just at one point.
Jessica Thanos, one of the researchers, emphasized how important it is to understand how the brain’s immune system behaves in both healthy and aging brains. The more scientists learn about what causes this harmful inflammation, the better they can design treatments that stop the damage before it’s too late.
While these findings are exciting, more research is needed before any new treatment can be offered to patients. Scientists must make sure that blocking STING won’t affect its other roles in the body, such as helping the immune system fight cancer.
This is the next step for the team at the Harrison Family Translational Research Center, part of UVA’s new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology.
Dr. Lukens hopes their discovery will lead to safer and more effective ways to protect the brain from damage in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
“There is an urgent need for treatments that can slow or prevent neuronal damage in Alzheimer’s,” he said. “Shedding light on how STING contributes to that damage may help us target similar molecules and ultimately develop effective treatments.”
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about New Alzheimer’s treatment: anti-inflammatory drug may prevent memory loss and findings of The diabetes drug surprise: a possible shield against Alzheimer’s?
For more about brain health, please read studies about Scientists find connection between fungus and Alzheimer’s disease and findings of Scientists find links between COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease.
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