Alzheimer’s disease is a serious illness that slowly damages the brain. At first, it may cause small problems with memory and thinking.
But over time, it can make simple daily tasks—like dressing, eating, or even talking—very hard. This disease affects millions of people around the world, and right now, there is no cure.
Alzheimer’s happens when harmful proteins build up in the brain. These include sticky plaques made of beta-amyloid and twisted fibers known as tangles. Together, they damage brain cells and stop them from working properly. As brain cells die, memory and thinking skills begin to fade.
Doctors and scientists have been working for years to find ways to detect Alzheimer’s early—before memory problems even start. Catching the disease early could give doctors more time to slow it down and help patients live better lives.
Now, scientists from the University of California San Diego may have found a new clue. In a recent study, they looked at an enzyme called PHGDH. This enzyme helps the body make a nutrient called serine, which is important for brain health and growth.
What the researchers found was surprising. People who had more PHGDH in their blood were more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, even people who didn’t yet have memory problems—but had high levels of PHGDH—might already be in the early stages of the disease.
To learn this, the scientists studied brain tissue from several different research groups. Each group had around 40 to 50 people aged 50 or older. Some had Alzheimer’s disease, some had mild memory loss, and some were completely healthy.
The results showed that people with Alzheimer’s had more PHGDH in their brains than healthy people. And the higher the PHGDH levels, the worse their memory problems tended to be.
The same pattern showed up in mice that were bred to have Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. As the disease got worse, their PHGDH levels also increased. This connection suggests that PHGDH could be a useful early warning sign for Alzheimer’s.
The study also found that people who did poorly on memory tests had more PHGDH. This may mean that this enzyme is connected to how serious the disease becomes. If doctors could measure PHGDH in the blood, they might be able to find signs of Alzheimer’s before a person even feels sick.
But the scientists also shared a warning. PHGDH helps make serine, and some people believe that taking serine supplements could protect the brain.
However, if PHGDH levels are already too high in people with Alzheimer’s, taking more serine might not help—and could even make things worse. More research is needed to know if serine supplements are safe or helpful for people at risk of Alzheimer’s.
This important study, led by Dr. Sheng Zhong, was published in the journal *Cell Metabolism*. It adds a new piece to the puzzle of how Alzheimer’s disease starts and grows.
Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s yet, people can still take steps to support brain health. Getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, and doing brain activities like reading or puzzles may all help. Taking care of other health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes can also lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.
This new research offers hope that one day, a simple blood test might help doctors catch Alzheimer’s early—long before memory loss begins. But until that day comes, staying informed and taking care of our health are still the best tools we have.
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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