Researchers unveil the mechanism behind brain cell death in Alzheimer's disease

Scientists in the UK and Belgium claim to have made a breakthrough in understanding how brain cells die in Alzheimer's disease. The accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain has long been linked to the disease, but the connection between these proteins and cell death has remained elusive. However, the team of researchers have now identified a process called "necroptosis" as the mechanism behind cellular suicide in Alzheimer's. The study, published in the journal Science, has been described as "exciting" and offers new possibilities for developing treatments for the disease. Alzheimer's is characterized by the loss of neurons in the brain, leading to symptoms such as memory loss. The accumulation of proteins called amyloid and tau is a hallmark of the disease, but their role in cell death has not been fully understood until now. The researchers propose that abnormal amyloid initiates brain inflammation and changes the internal chemistry of neurons. This, in turn, leads to the formation of tau tangles and the production of a molecule called MEG3, which triggers necroptosis. The team observed that brain cells survived when the MEG3 molecule was blocked. The findings were obtained through experiments involving human brain cells transplanted into genetically modified mice. The discovery opens up new possibilities for drug development by targeting the MEG3 molecule to prevent brain cell death. However, further research is needed to fully explore this potential. The scientific community has hailed the research as significant, with experts highlighting its contribution to bridging the knowledge gap in Alzheimer's research. However, they caution that a considerable amount of additional research is required to determine the effectiveness of this approach as a potential treatment for the disease. The findings have been described as "important" and a step towards understanding previously unknown mechanisms of cell death in Alzheimer's. The study provides hope for future treatments that could slow or even halt the progression of the disease.