University of Queensland researchers have discovered a new ‘seeding’ process in brain cells that could be the cause of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Queensland Brain Institute UQ depression researcher, Professor Jürgen Götz, said the study showed that tangled neurons, a hallmark sign of dementia, come into play with a slowed cellular process. strays and allows toxic proteins, tau, to enter healthy brain cells.
“These leaks create a destructive seeding process that causes tau tangles and ultimately leads to memory loss and other deficiencies,” Dr. Götz said.
Professor Götz said that until now researchers did not understand how tau seeds could escape after entering healthy cells.
“In people with Alzheimer’s disease, the tiny sacs that carry messages inside or outside the cells, called exosomes, appear to trigger a reaction that triggers hitting holes in the wall of their own cell membrane and allowing the poisonous seeds to escape, “he said.
“As more tau build up in the brain, it eventually forms streaks, and along with a strangely secreted protein called amyloid plaque, they become key features of these brain diseases. “
Queensland Brain Institute researcher Dr Juan Polanco said the scientists’ findings would help shape how non-inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias occur.
“The more we understand the basic techniques, the easier it will be to stop the process and slow down or even stop the disease,” Dr Polanco said.
“Along with Alzheimer’s, this cellular process may play a key role in other mental illnesses, from facial lobe depression to rare brain disorders with toxic tau.
“Even in cancer research, emerging evidence shows that these exosomes can load unique messages that reveal the location of tumors and enable them to reproduce and spread cancer more quickly. through the body.
“Developing our understanding of how Alzheimer’s and other diseases spread through exosomes will allow us to create new ways to treat and intervene in these cellular processes in the future.”
Professor Götz will lead research at QBI’s Clem Jones Center for Dementia Aging Research. A team in his research group, led by Dr. Polanco, is looking at the role of exosomes and cell dysfunction as a risk factor in neurodegenerative diseases.
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