In research conducted at the Gladstone Institute, the neurologists have uncovered something highly unusual. They identified that changes inside the human brain start occurring years before people start suffering from issues with memory or cognitive decline due to old age. The neurologists have identified the specific molecular chain reaction; this is responsible for such changes. Not only this, but the neurobiologists have also identified a way through which these changes can be reversed.
APOE4 Drives brain shrinking, how a risk gene weakens neurones
The main purpose behind this research was to study in great detail how the protein of APOE4 puts its effect on the neurons at different stages of a person’s life. The team of neurologists working on this research discovered that APOE4 within neurons results in the overproduction of Nell 2, a protein, which causes the neuron to physically shrink from its original size. Therefore, all these act as a direct predictor; the more noisy and more active a human brain acts during the time of youth and at a young age, the more likely it is to suffer from issues related to memory during the period of old age and the senior years of its life.
Research Details
This study, conducted by the Gladstone Institute, is the first of its kind, which directly worked upon examining what APOE4 does to the neurons at different stages of a person’s life. A PhD holder along with being a significant staff researcher neuroscientist at the Gladstone Institute Misha Zilberter, who is also working as a senior author of this study said that during the research they found fundamental changes taking place inside the brain circuits of young mice and those changes gave their predictions towards the development of problems related with cognitive decline during the later senior years of life.
The APOE4 gene is significantly considered to be responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s. During the research, the team of neurobiologists worked on recording the brain activities that took place inside the young mice. After it, the scientists examined in great detail neurons from the mice’s brains. The researchers also examined APOE3 neurons in mice, which are associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer problems.
Read More: Alzheimer’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Signs and Treatment
Research Findings
The researchers found that the neural activities in 2 regions that were found inside the mice with the APOE4 gene were extremely similar to those in the human brain. The neurologists also found that the neurons that came under the area of the affected region were considerably smaller in size in mice that carried the APOE4 gene. All this suggests that the APOE4 gene accelerates towards normal ageing and explains why people with the presence of this gene are more likely to develop Alzheimer problem: – Says Huang, director of the Gladstone Institute.
Author’s Perspective
Yadong Huang, MD, a PhD associate as well as the director of Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, along with being a senior author of the study, gave the statement that this study is a breakthrough for Alzheimer research and opens doors to a better understanding of how APOE4 functions within neurons & increases risks of cognitive decline. This could result in boosting the development of therapies.
The team of researchers had found that the different ways through which hyperactivity was performed inside the mice predicted how poorly they worked on spatial learning & memory tests later in life,” said Dennis Tabuena, a scientist.
Conclusion
This research focused on developing ways through which an early cognitive decline among patients can be prevented. It examines the work of APEO4 and how it puts its impact on the neuron at different stages of a person’s life. This research is fruitful as such studies can be used for the development of a cure which would eliminate the sufferings of patients.
