A new study from researchers at Yale-NUS College has offered a fresh view on what might cause Alzheimer’s disease.
This condition affects memory and thinking skills, mostly in older adults. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and is a major health concern around the world.
In Singapore, about one in ten people over age 60 has some form of dementia.
Even though scientists have been studying Alzheimer’s for over 20 years, its true cause is still not fully understood, and there is no cure yet. Most past research has focused on something called amyloid-beta protein. This protein builds up in the brain and forms clumps or plaques that can damage brain cells.
But a newer idea is getting more attention. Some researchers now think that problems with metabolism—how our cells create and use energy—might be the real starting point of Alzheimer’s. The problem may lie within the mitochondria, the tiny power centers of our cells.
In the latest study, researchers found signs of metabolic trouble before they saw any major buildup of amyloid-beta. This suggests that energy problems in the cells might start earlier than the plaques and could even cause them.
To study this, scientists used a small worm called Caenorhabditis elegans. These worms are simple, but they share many biological traits with humans, so they are often used to study human diseases.
One exciting part of the study was when the scientists gave the worms Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes. The results were promising. Metformin helped fix the energy problems in the worms and also helped them live longer and stay healthier.
These results are important. They show that fixing cell metabolism early might help stop or slow down Alzheimer’s. Instead of waiting until memory loss starts, it might be better to treat the early changes in how cells make energy.
This study supports the idea that Alzheimer’s may be part of the aging process itself. If we treat aging-related cell problems early, we might be able to prevent Alzheimer’s and other diseases that come with age.
The research was led by Jan Gruber and published in the journal eLife. It challenges old theories about Alzheimer’s and points to new ways to fight it—by focusing on keeping our cells and metabolism healthy as we age.
This new understanding shows how different parts of the body are connected and why it’s important to take a big-picture approach to diseases like Alzheimer’s. Keeping our cells working well might be the key to staying mentally sharp as we get older.
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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