\n<\/p>\n
Though we don\u2019t yet fully understand<\/a> what causes dementia, many scientists think that the build-up of \u201camyloid plaques\u201d and \u201ctau tangles\u201d<\/a> in the brain can be a precursor to Alzheimer\u2019s. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n This seems to happen when deposits of the two proteins grow around brain cells. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n And according to recent research published in Nature Neuroscience<\/a>, another protein \u2013 Sox9 \u2013 could be responsible for clearing them. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Speaking to Baylor University<\/a>, study co-author Dr Benjamin Deneen<\/a> said that increasing levels of the protein, which \u201cregulates astrocyte functions during ageing\u201d, helped to clear plaques \u201cfrom the brain like a vacuum cleaner\u201d in mice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In this study, it appeared to have a knock-on effect on star-shaped cells in the brain called astrocytes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n First author Dr Dong-Joo Choi <\/a>said<\/a>: \u201cAstrocytes perform diverse tasks that are essential for normal brain function, including facilitating brain communications and memory storage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAs the brain ages, astrocytes show profound functional alterations; however, the role these alterations play in ageing and neurodegeneration is not yet understood.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, the researchers \u201cmanipulated the expression of the Sox9 gene to assess its role in maintaining astrocyte function in the ageing brain and in Alzheimer\u2019s disease models,\u201d Dr Deneen explained<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n They took mice, which had already developed cognitive issues like memory loss and had amyloid plaque build-up in their brains, and either reduced or increased their Sox9 levels. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n After monitoring and testing the cognitive strength of the mice for six months, the researchers looked at their amyloid plaque levels. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n While removing Sox9 expression was linked to increased plaque buildup, perhaps due to the decreased complexity of astrocyte cells linked to the change, overexpressing it seemed to increase the clearing power of the cells while also yielding better cognitive test results. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe found that increasing Sox9 expression triggered astrocytes to ingest more amyloid plaques, clearing them from the brain like a vacuum cleaner,\u201d Dr Deneen stated.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMost current treatments focus on neurons or try to prevent the formation of amyloid plaques. This study suggests that enhancing astrocytes\u2019 natural ability to clean up could be just as important.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy might the protein help to boost dementia defences? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What does this research mean? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n