Research from Belgium and the UK, using mice, has shed light on a key mechanism of brain cell death caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's affects more than 55 million people worldwide and is distinguished by the overaccumulation of specific proteins in the brain – the formation of plaques of amyloid-beta protein, and ‘tangles’ of tau protein – causing inflammation and the death of brain cells (such as neurons).
The study, in Science, was conducted by researchers at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, an EARA member, and University College of London, and focused on how the accumulation of these proteins leads to neuron death.
The team discovered that amyloid-beta triggers inflammation, altering brain neurons and leading to tau tangles. This then leads to the activation of a molecule (MEG3) that in turn triggers a form of programmed cell death called necroptosis.
In mice genetically altered to mimic Alzheimer’s disease, blocking the production of MEG3 successfully prevented brain cell death.
Susan Kohlhaas, from Alzheimer's Research UK, who was asked to comment by the BBC, said: "This discovery is important because it points to new mechanisms of cell death in Alzheimer's disease that we didn't previously understand and could pave the way for new treatments to slow, or even stop disease progression in the future."