Scientists Find Possible New Defense Against Alzheimer's Damage
Summary
Scientists have found that a natural brain protein called SORLA may help protect against damage from tau protein buildup in Alzheimer’s disease. In studies with mice, increasing SORLA reduced harmful tau clumps, brain shrinkage, and loss of connections between brain cells.Key Facts
- SORLA is a protein that naturally occurs in the brain and may defend against tau protein problems linked to Alzheimer’s.
- Tau proteins normally support neuron structure, but in Alzheimer’s they form harmful clumps called tau tangles.
- Mice engineered to have more human SORLA showed less tau accumulation and less brain shrinkage.
- Increasing SORLA reduced tau hyperphosphorylation, which is a key process causing tau to become harmful.
- Higher SORLA levels helped maintain synapses, the communication points between brain cells, and supported brain plasticity.
- Mice lacking the gene for SORLA experienced worse tau-related brain damage.
- The study also found that lack of SORLA increased activity in brain support cells (glial cells) linked to disease progression.
- Existing drugs targeting certain brain receptors (plexin-B family) might be repurposed to help in tau-related dementia.
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