Scientists at UVA Health have identified a chemical in the brain that may help doctors boost the body’s natural defenses against debilitating neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and MS.
Researchers discovered that the kinase they had been looking for was essential for both clearing away the plaque buildup linked to Alzheimer’s disease and stopping the debris buildup linked to multiple sclerosis. According to the study’s findings, it does this via controlling the actions of microglia, cells that normally serve as brain cleansers. Until recently, researchers paid little attention to these immune cells; however, recent studies have shown their critical role in maintaining healthy brain function.
Important new results from UVA have the potential to allow doctors to enhance microglial activation in the future, potentially helping patients with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, MS, and others.
The inability of the brain to rid itself of toxic accumulation has been linked to a number of neurodegenerative illnesses, including Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. The new study from UVA provides useful understanding into how this cleansing process works and the terrible repercussions when it doesn’t. Previous studies have shown the relevance of microglia in clearing away toxic waste from the brain.
The UVA team employed a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and found that memory loss and plaque buildup in the brain were reproduced in the rodents in the absence of the molecule they identified, spleen tyrosine kinase. The activation of this chemical and microglia in the brain allowed the neuroscientists to diminish plaque buildup, suggesting a potential therapy option for human patients, albeit this would require extensive further study and testing.
In a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, a deficiency of the molecule caused an accumulation of damaged myelin, the insulation around nerve cells. Damage to myelin prevents cells from sending messages effectively, which results in movement issues and muscle spasms characteristic of multiple sclerosis. In a new study, researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) conclude that the molecule they’ve dubbed SYK plays a significant role in clearing away damaged myelin.
