The "Powerhouses" in Your Cells Could Be the Key to Defeating Alzheimer's

For years, scientists have known that the clumping of certain proteins in the brain—namely, beta-amyloid and tau—is a defining characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.

But what if there were other proteins hiding in these toxic clumps that could hold the key to unlocking new treatments?

Researchers from The Buck Institute for Research in Novato, CA, have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change the way we approach Alzheimer’s disease forever…

Using a worm model, scientists found that both the natural aging process and the presence of beta-amyloid can drive other proteins to become insoluble and clump together in the brain.

These insoluble protein clumps have been largely ignored in Alzheimer’s research until now, but they may play a crucial role in the development and progression of the disease.

But here’s where things get really exciting…

The researchers discovered that many of the proteins that become insoluble are found in the mitochondria, the tiny “powerhouses” of our cells that produce energy.

And when they used a compound called urolithin A to boost the quality of mitochondrial health in these insoluble proteins, they were able to delay the toxic effects of beta-amyloid!

As Dr. Manish Chamoli, co-first author of the study, explains, “Mitochondria contain a specialized energy-producing complex of proteins called the electron transport chain, which is the primary way our cells use food to produce energy. We found that the proteins of the electron transport chain were driven to become insoluble when we exposed them to [beta-amyloid].”

By targeting mitochondrial health with compounds like urolithin A—which is found naturally in foods like pomegranates, walnuts, and berries—we may be able to prevent or slow down the formation of these toxic protein clumps in the brain.

Dr. Verna R. Porter, a neurologist not involved in the study, agrees that these findings could pave the way for novel interventions, including pharmacological approaches, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle modifications.

“It would be interesting to conduct clinical trials to test the efficacy of mitochondrial health-boosting compounds in Alzheimer’s disease patients, including compounds like urolithin A and other mitochondrial enhancers,” she notes.

While more research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between mitochondria, protein clumping, and Alzheimer’s disease, this study offers a tantalizing glimpse into a potential new avenue for treatment.

So, the next time you reach for a handful of berries or a pomegranate—you may be giving your brain’s mitochondria a much-needed boost in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

To beating back against Alzheimer’s,

Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team

P.S. Learn the heartbreaking reality of Alzheimer’s and 8 ways to cope.

Source:

Chamoli, M., Anderton, E., Aswad, P., & Tiano, J. P. (2023). Age-related protein insolubility is accelerated by Aβ aggregates and reversed by a mitochondrial intervention. GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00783-9