Scientists have made an exciting discovery that could change the way we understand aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found evidence that damage to brain cells may begin much earlier in life than experts once believed. Their work also suggests that a medicine already approved for other health conditions could one day help slow brain cell loss and improve memory in people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It slowly damages the brain, making it harder for people to remember names, recognize loved ones, solve problems, and carry out everyday tasks. As the disease gets worse, people become more dependent on family members and caregivers.
There is currently no cure, and most available treatments only help relieve symptoms for a limited time. Because of this, scientists around the world are searching for ways to slow or stop the disease before too many brain cells are lost.
One of the biggest challenges is that Alzheimer’s begins many years before memory problems become obvious.
By the time someone is diagnosed, a large number of brain cells, also called neurons, may already have died. Finding signs of brain damage early could allow doctors to begin treatment sooner and possibly protect the brain before serious memory loss develops.
In the new study, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, researchers examined proteins in blood samples taken from people ranging from early life to old age. These proteins are released when brain cells are damaged or under stress, so they can act as warning signals for what is happening inside the brain.
The team focused on three important proteins. Two of them, called UCH-L1 and NfL, were found at very low levels during early life. As people grew older, the levels gradually increased every year and rose much faster later in life. At first, this increase appears to be part of normal aging.
However, in older adults, higher levels of these proteins were linked to poorer memory and thinking skills, suggesting that normal aging may slowly develop into harmful brain damage in some people.
The researchers also studied a protein called GFAP, which is linked to inflammation in the brain. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection, but when it continues for a long time it can harm healthy brain cells. The study found that GFAP levels started to rise noticeably around the age of 40.
Women also tended to have higher levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 than men as they aged, although scientists do not yet know why.
The study became even more interesting when researchers tested a medicine called sargramostim, also known by the brand name Leukine.
This drug is a laboratory-made version of a natural protein called GM-CSF, which helps control the immune system. Doctors have safely used sargramostim for about 30 years to help cancer patients rebuild important immune cells after chemotherapy.
Earlier studies in animals suggested that GM-CSF could reduce inflammation in the brain, protect neurons, and even improve memory. To find out if similar benefits might occur in people, researchers carried out a small clinical trial involving people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The results were encouraging. People who received sargramostim had about a 40 percent drop in UCH-L1, one of the blood markers linked to brain cell death. After treatment, their levels were close to those normally seen much earlier in life. This suggests the drug may reduce or slow the loss of neurons.
The participants also improved on the Mini-Mental State Examination, a widely used test that measures memory, attention, language, and other basic thinking skills. Although other memory tests did not show clear improvements, the better scores on this important test gave researchers hope that the medicine may be helping brain function.
Even more encouraging, the memory improvement continued after treatment ended, although the blood marker gradually returned to previous levels after about 45 days.
Scientists still have many questions. They do not yet know whether people would need to take the drug continuously or whether short courses of treatment could provide lasting protection. They also want to learn whether the medicine could help healthy older adults slow normal age-related memory decline before Alzheimer’s disease develops.
The researchers stress that these findings are still at an early stage. Sargramostim has not been approved as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, and larger clinical trials are now underway to test its safety and effectiveness in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
This research provides two important messages. First, changes linked to brain cell damage may begin much earlier than many people realize, highlighting the value of early detection and prevention.
Second, an existing medicine that has been safely used for decades may offer a completely new way to slow brain damage instead of only treating symptoms. If future studies confirm these promising results, this work could open the door to better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and healthier brain aging.
The research was led by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and published in Cell Reports Medicine.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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