For decades, researchers have questioned whether Alzheimer’s begins in one area of the brain and spreads from there, or whether it begins independently and simultaneously in several vulnerable regions of our gray matter. Scientists at Columbia University in New York (United States) have found the answer: it spreads through the brain from a single center, infecting one neuron after another through the circuits that connect them, called synapses. The analyzes also showed that what was transmittedneuron to neuronit was theretau protein, which in Alzheimer’s patients is altered and toxic, forming dense tangles of fibers in the brain of those affected.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers worked with a transgenic mouse with the gene for the abnormal human tau protein expressed predominantly in theentorhinal cortex. And over 22 months they observed how from there it progressively extended to the hippocampus and the neocortex, two necessary areasfor the proper functioning of memory and to form new memories.
The discovery could have implications for the development of new therapies. The authors suggest that if the pathology begins in the entorhinal cortex, the best strategy would be to treat Alzheimer’s in the same way that cancer is treated, prioritizing early detection and treatment. And right at the beginning, block the “jump” of the tau protein from one neuron to another, perhaps using some type of immunotherapy, so that it does not reach regions of the brain where it causes dementia ?, suggests Karen E. Duff, co-author of the work.
