Groundbreaking Australian research unveils likely Alzheimer’s cause

Groundbreaking dementia study finds ‘blood to brain’ pathway of toxic proteins a likely cause of the disease.

About 250 Australians are diagnosed with dementia everyday. Groundbreaking new research could change that.

Groundbreaking Australian-led research has discovered a likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease, in a finding that may lead to new prevention and treatment opportunities for the country’s second-leading cause of death

The study, conducted on mice, has found that leakage from blood into the brain of fat-carrying particles transporting toxic proteins is a likely cause of the disease.

The research, conducted by Curtin University and published in PLOS Biologyjournal, has identified the probable “blood-to-brain pathway” that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, said Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) Director Professor John Mamo.

“While we previously knew that the hallmark feature of people living with Alzheimer’s disease was the progressive accumulation of toxic protein deposits within the brain called beta-amyloid, researchers did not know where the amyloid originated from, or why it deposited in the brain,” he said.

“Our research shows that these toxic protein deposits that form in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease most likely leak into the brain from fat carrying particles in blood, called lipoproteins.

“This ‘blood-to-brain pathway’ is significant because if we can manage the levels in blood of lipoprotein-amyloid and prevent their leakage into the brain, this opens up potential new treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and slow memory loss.”

Researchers used genetically-engineered mouse models to produce human amyloid-only liver that make lipoproteins to test the new theory.

“As we predicted, the study found that mouse models producing lipoprotein-amyloid in the liver suffered inflammation in the brain, accelerated brain cell death and memory loss,” Professor Mamo said.

“While further studies are now needed, this finding shows the abundance of these toxic protein deposits in the blood could potentially be addressed through a person’s diet and some drugs that could specifically target lipoprotein amyloid, therefore reducing their risk or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The new findings could have a significant global impact on the millions of people who live with Alzheimer’s disease, said Alzheimer’s Western Australia Chairman Warren Harding.

“Having universities like Curtin working with the pharmaceutical industry is important if we are to tackle this devastating disease,” adjunct professor Harding said.

“In Australia, approximately 250 people are diagnosed with dementia daily, adding to the staggering half a million Australians who are already living with dementia.

“Without significant medical advances like the breakthrough Professor Mamo’s team has made, it is estimated that the number of Australians living with dementia will exceed one million by 2058. This has a significant impact on families, carers and communities.”