To treat Alzheimer's disease, it is crucial to understand how the disease begins. Until now, research has primarily focused on the neurons inside the brain, but a new study published by scientists from the US and Germany suggests that the actual trigger of the disease might be at the brain's boundaries.
"When we study diseases that affect the brain, most research focuses on the brain's own neurons," says Andrew Yang, a neuroscientist at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease. "I hope our findings lead to more interest in the cells that make up the brain's boundaries, which may play a central role in diseases like Alzheimer's."
The researchers developed a new genetic analysis technology called MultiVINE-seq. Using this technology, they examined the vascular and immune cells from the brain tissues of 30 deceased individuals. The analysis revealed that many genetic variants previously linked to neurological diseases were found in the cells that protect the brain's boundaries, especially in the endothelial cells that manage access to the brain and in immune system T cells.
It is believed that these genetic variants could cause inflammatory immune cells to trigger or accelerate Alzheimer's. Neuroscientist Madigan Reid said, "We previously knew that these genetic variants increased disease risk, but we didn't know how they acted in the brain barrier cells. Our study shows that many of these variants actually function in the brain's blood vessels and immune cells."
This discovery suggests that Alzheimer's may not just be about protein buildup inside the brain but could also be triggered by an external threat. This new perspective could help in developing more accessible drug targets and lifestyle interventions against Alzheimer's disease in the future.
The researchers stated, "This study brings the brain's vascular and immune cells to the forefront," indicating that they may be able to provide a new roadmap on how the disease can be protected from the outside in.
