Scientists discover how Arc protein spreads Alzheimer's brain pathology
Researchers found Arc-containing vesicles carry toxic tau between neurons, and removing Arc cut tau transfer and spread in mice by nearly 100%.
- Researchers discovered that the Arc protein facilitates toxic Tau spread between brain cells, according to a study published in Cell. The protein acts as a vehicle allowing Tau to move from diseased neurons to healthy ones.
- Normally, Arc encapsulates itself in microscopic bubbles called extracellular vesicles to shuttle molecular information between neurons. In Alzheimer's disease, toxic Tau seeds bind to Arc, hitching a ride on these bubbles to infect healthy tissue.
- Arc plays a double-edged role: it helps neurons expel toxic Tau, while also facilitating its spread. In Alzheimer's mouse models lacking the Arc protein, disease transmission was reduced to near-extinction, with 99% reduction compared to normal models.
- Senior study author Dr. Jason Shepherd, a professor at University of Utah Health, suggests future therapies might block toxic Tau-containing EVs "mid-flight" before they reach healthy neurons. Such treatments could potentially prevent further damage and cognitive decline.
- Although the team identified similar mechanisms in human brain tissue, Shepherd cautioned that "most of the work we've been doing is in mice, not in humans." Further research is needed to determine if findings yield effective clinical treatments.
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Scientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's spreads through the brain
A common brain protein may be giving Alzheimer’s disease an unexpected way to spread, carrying toxic Tau proteins from damaged neurons into healthy ones. By blocking these harmful protein packages before they reach new cells, researchers believe it may one day be possible to slow the disease's relentless progression.
According to a study, the Arc protein may help the spread of the toxic Tau protein in the brain.
Researchers have discovered how the harmful Tau protein moves from diseased to healthy brain cells, paving the way for new therapies.
Scientists May Have Finally Found How Alzheimer’s Spreads Through the Brain
(ScienceDaily) – Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the buildup of a toxic protein called Tau, which damages and eventually kills brain cells. As this harmful protein moves into new areas of the brain, the disease progresses, leading to worsening memory loss and cognitive decline. Now, researchers have uncovered an unexpected player in that process. In a study of mice, they found that a brain protein called Arc, which normally helps neurons commun…
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