Disrupted Oxygen Generation
The University of Adelaide team analyzed young adult (pre-disease) brains of zebrafish that had gene mutations linked to early-onset Alzheimer’s. The researchers used cutting-edge technology and mathematical analysis to compare differences in brain cells’ gene activity in normal fish compared to those with mutations. Although different mutations impact brain cell functions in a variety of ways, mutations in Alzheimer’s disease all affected one key function – the use of cellular oxygen to create energy. The researchers published their paper in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms in January, writing, “We identify changes to energy metabolism as the earliest detectable cellular stress due to Alzheimer’s disease mutations.” Lead researcher Dr. Karissa Barthelson, from the University’s Alzheimer’s Genetics Laboratory, explained, saying, “This is very interesting because we know when Alzheimer’s disease eventually develops, people’s brains become severely deficient in energy production. “When we realized this common link, we took our research one step further and re-analyzed data from another research group that had studied an important Alzheimer’s disease gene in mice. “We could see a similar effect, and this reinforces our confidence that we have found a fundamental, early driver of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.” What does this mean? Good news…Alzheimer’s May Become Easier to Prevent and Treat
Since the brain has many different cell types that produce and share energy in different ways, the Adelaide researchers want to carry out further studies to examine these differences. “It is very satisfying to have found this important common, early factor driving the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Barthelson continued. “Energy production is the most fundamentally important cellular activity supporting all other functions, particularly in highly active organs such as brains. “If we can understand in detail what is going wrong with oxygen use and energy production, we may see ways of stopping the disease before it starts.”