Researchers at the VIB-KU Leuven Centre for Brain Research have made a significant breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer's disease, the Stop Alzheimer Foundation announced on Wednesday.
In their study, published in Nature Communications, researchers demonstrated that brain immune cells, known as microglia, have a dual function in Alzheimer's disease. They can be both harmful and protective, depending on the stage of the disease.
Knowing the function of the cells, which was previously poorly understood, opens up new avenues for therapeutic approaches, researchers have said.
In Alzheimer’s, toxic protein clumps called amyloid plaques accumulate in the brain. Microglia, responsible for clearing cellular waste, interact with these plaques, but their exact contribution was previously unclear.
The research team discovered that in the early stages of the disease, microglia promote amyloid plaque formation, playing a damaging role. At advanced stages, the same cells reactivate to compact the plaques, thereby limiting their toxic effects and protecting neurones.
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To better understand this dual function, the researchers studied microglial activation throughout the disease. They found that these cells are initially in a "homeostatic" state, meaning they are minimally active, which promotes plaque formation. As the disease progresses, they become active and adopt a protective role.
"Our work shows that homeostatic microglia present at the beginning of the disease play a harmful role, while later activated microglia have a protective effect," said Bart De Strooper, the study's lead author.
"These results clarify previously contradictory data and open new avenues for therapeutic approaches, but also raise a fundamental question: should we activate or inhibit microglia, and at what point?" he said.
