A new study identifies the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease

New innovative research led by Curtin University has uncovered a probable cause of Alzheimer’s disease, in a significant finding that offers new prevention and treatment opportunities for Australia’s second leading cause of death.

The study, published in the prestigious PLOS Biology daily and tested in mouse models, he identified that a probable cause of Alzheimer’s disease was the leakage of blood into the brain from particles carrying fats that carried toxic proteins.

Lead research professor Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Professor John Mamo, said his collaborating group of Australian scientists had identified the likely “blood-brain pathway” that could lead to Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form of dementia worldwide.

“Although we previously knew that the characteristic feature of people living with Alzheimer’s disease was the progressive accumulation of toxic deposits of proteins in the brain called beta-amyloids, the researchers did not know where the disease originated. amyloid or why it was deposited in the brain. ” Professor Mamo said.

“Our research shows that these toxic deposits of proteins that form in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease are likely to seep into the brain from particles that carry fats in the blood, called lipoproteins.

“This ‘blood-brain route’ is significant because if we can control blood levels of lipoprotein-amyloid and prevent it from leaking into the brain, this opens up possible new treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and curb memory loss.”

Based on previous award-winning research that showed that beta-amyloid is made outside the brain with lipoproteins, Professor Mamo’s team tested the innovative “blood-brain pathway” by genetically engineering mouse models to produce liver only with human amyloid that produces lipoproteins.

“As we predicted, the study found that mouse models that produced lipoprotein-amyloid in the liver suffered from inflammation in the brain, accelerated brain cell death, and memory loss,” Professor Mamo said.

“Although additional studies are now needed, this finding shows that the abundance of these toxic protein deposits in the blood could be addressed through a person’s diet and some drugs that could specifically target the amyloid. lipoprotein, reducing its risk or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. “

Assistant Professor of Alzheimer’s WA President Warren Harding said the findings could have a significant global impact on the millions of people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

“For universities like Curtin to work with the pharmaceutical industry it is important if we are to deal with this devastating disease,” Harding said.

“In Australia, approximately 250 people are diagnosed with dementia on a daily basis, in addition to the staggering half a million Australians already living with dementia. Without significant medical advances such as the progress made by Professor Mamo’s team, he estimates that the number of Australians living with dementia will exceed one million by 2058. This has a significant impact on families, carers and communities. “

Professor Mamo and previous research from his research team in this area received the NHMRC-Marshall and Warren Award for the most innovative and potentially transformative research.

The team is currently conducting a clinical trial, Probucol in Alzheimer’s, which is based on previous findings that a historical cardiovascular agent reduces lipoprotein-amyloid production and supports cognitive performance in mice.

The full paper is titled “Liver Proteins Can Cause Alzheimer’s Disease in the Brain.”