SCI TECH DAILY – An international research team has identified a new mechanism involving astrocytes for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and proposed a novel therapeutic target.
In their study, the researchers revealed that the autophagy pathway in astrocytes (non-neuronal cells in the brain) removes amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers, the toxic proteins found in the brains of AD patients, and recovers memory and cognitive functions.
The research, led by Dr. Hoon Ryu from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Sang-Rok Oh) Brain Disease Research Group, in collaboration with Director Justin C. Lee of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, President Do-Young Noh) and Professor Junghee Lee from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, was published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.
Astrocytes’ Role in Neurodegeneration
AD, a representative form of senile dementia, occurs when toxic proteins like Aβ, abnormally aggregate and accumulate in the brain, leading to inflammation and damage to neurons, causing neurodegenerative disorders.
Although the scientific community has long focused on the role of astrocytes in removing toxic proteins around neurons, the exact mechanism remains unclear.
Discoveries in Astrocytic Autophagy
Autophagy is a process by which cells break down and recycle their own components to maintain homeostasis. The research team scrutinized the autophagy process in astrocytes and discovered that when toxic protein buildup or inflammation occurs in the brains of AD patients, astrocytes respond by inducing genes that regulate autophagy.
By delivering these autophagy-associated genes specifically into astrocytes in AD mouse models, the researchers observed the recovery of damaged neurons.
