Astrocytes, star-shaped non-neuronal cells in the brain, can potentially restore memory and cognitive abilities in Alzheimer’s patients by removing toxic proteins through a process called autophagy. (Image courtesy of KIST) SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – A groundbreaking study has revealed that astrocytes, star-shaped non-neuronal cells in the brain, can potentially restore memory and cognitive abilities in Alzheimer’s patients by removing toxic proteins through a process called autophagy.
On August 25, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a research team led by Ryu Hoon from KIST’s Brain Science Institute, in collaboration with Lee Changjoon from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Lee Junghee from Boston University School of Medicine, has uncovered a new therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease utilizing astrocytes. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder characterized by the abnormal accumulation of toxic proteins like amyloid-beta in the brain, leading to inflammation and neuronal damage. While it was known that astrocytes play a role in removing these toxic proteins from around neurons, the exact mechanism remained unclear until now.
The research team focused on the autophagy process, a cellular mechanism for maintaining homeostasis. They discovered that in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains, astrocytes respond to the accumulation of toxic proteins and inflammation by inducing genes that regulate autophagy. .