Interesting new Alzheimer’s research that looks beyond amyloid plaques buildup in the brain.
Researchers conducted the most extensive analysis on the genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic changes in Alzheimer’s patient brains. By analyzing over 2 million cells from 400 postmortem samples, they offer insight into the interplay of four areas to help treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Transcriptome – RNA-sequencing to analyze the gene expression patterns of 54 types of brain cells. They found impairments in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function, synaptic signaling, and protein complexes needed to maintain the structural integrity of the genome.
Epigenomics – The chemical modifications that effect gene usage within a given cell. The found they occur most often in microglia, the immune cells responsible for clearing debris from the brain.
Microglia – brain cells that make up 5 to 10 percent of the cells in the brain. They clear debris from the brain, are immune cells that respond to injury or infection and help neurons communicate with each other. They found as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, more microglia enter inflammatory states, the blood-brain barrier begins to degrade, and neurons begin to have difficulty communicating with each other.
DNA damage – during memory formation, neurons create DNA breaks. These breaks are promptly repaired, but the repair process can become faulty as neurons age. They found that as more DNA damage accumulates in neurons, it gets more difficult to repair the damage, leading to genome rearrangements and 3D folding defects.
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