Scientists find that energy is the key to Alzheimer’s disease

The discovery, published in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms, has prompted further investigation of the link as a fundamental, early driver of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

In the study, researchers analyzed the young adult brain of zebrafish with a gene mutation associated with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Zebrafish were chosen for the study because they produce very large families, making it easy to detect subtle effects.

The team used state-of-the-art gene technology and mathematical analysis to compare gene activity and detect subtle differences between normal fish and those with the mutation.

While the researchers found that different mutations in different genes have many different effects on brain cell function, they also found that Alzheimer’s disease mutations affect a very important cell function — cells to generate energy. use of oxygen within.

Lead researcher Dr Karissa Barthelson, from the University of Adelaide’s Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Laboratory, said: “This is very interesting because we know that when Alzheimer’s disease eventually develops, there is a severe reduction in energy production in people’s brains.

“When we realized this common link we took our research a step further and re-analyzed data from another research group that studied a key Alzheimer’s disease gene in mice.

“We could see a similar effect, and it reinforces our belief that we have found a fundamental, early driver of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.”

The brain is made up of many different types of cells that have complex ways of producing and sharing energy. The Adelaide research group now wants to investigate how Alzheimer’s disease mutations affect those different types of cells.

“It is very satisfying to find this important common, early factor driving the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers say the cost of Alzheimer’s disease to society is enormous, not only in caring for those who cannot take care of themselves, but also in lost relationships with loved ones as memories and cognition fade.

“Energy production is the most fundamentally important cellular activity that supports all other functions, especially in highly active organs such as the brain,” Dr Barthelson said.

“If we can understand in detail what’s going wrong with oxygen use and energy production, we can look at ways to prevent disease before it starts – and that would greatly benefit our aging population,” Barthelson said.