New Research Sheds Light on Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment
Alzheimer’s disease is a particularly devastating condition. Despite some progress in treatment, once symptoms appear, options become limited. Recent research could bring to light a significant, overlooked factor contributing to the disease, potentially paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.
A team from Harvard Medical School conducted this study, which was published in Nature. Through the examination of human brain samples and experiments on mice, they discovered that the element lithium is naturally present in our brains. Interestingly, a deficiency in lithium might explain some of the damage associated with Alzheimer’s. An expert in the field highlighted the robustness of their findings to Gizmodo.
According to Timothy Chang, a neurologist at UCLA who wasn’t part of the research, the study’s authors conducted thorough investigations into how low lithium levels correlate with Alzheimer’s at various diagnostic levels, including proteins, cells, and genes. Chang also directs the California Alzheimer’s Disease Center at UCLA.
The brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s show multiple differences compared to healthy brains. Notably, they have elevated levels of misfolded amyloid beta and tau proteins, which normally serve vital functions. However, it’s not just these proteins that change in Alzheimer’s, and during their research into other neurological alterations, the Harvard team made a significant finding.
Utilizing existing projects that gathered postmortem tissue samples, they analyzed around 30 different metals in the brains of individuals who had died with varying cognitive abilities. Their observations indicated that lithium levels were the sole major difference: those with healthy cognitive function had higher lithium, while those with Alzheimer’s exhibited much lower levels. Remarkably, this reduction in lithium was also visible in individuals who had only mild memory issues prior to their passing.
Additionally, the researchers evaluated both healthy mice and genetically modified mice that develop a strain of Alzheimer’s. When they depleted lithium in these subjects, they noticed a heightened accumulation of unhealthy amyloid beta and tau, leading to worsened memory performance. They also observed that this lithium loss appears related to amyloid beta binding in the brain, negatively impacting various major brain cell types.
While some limited research has hinted at a link between lithium and Alzheimer’s, this study is pioneering in demonstrating that brains indeed contain lithium naturally. Their insights suggest lithium is crucial for maintaining brain health, and its absence might be a driving factor in Alzheimer’s development.
Bruce Yankner, one of the senior authors of the study, mentioned that this research is significant as it posits lithium deficiency might be contributory to Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, lithium was regarded mainly as a drug with pharmacological effects rather than as a biologically relevant substance in the brain. Their exploration into the effects of lithium deficiency marks a new frontier.
The implications of these findings, though still in the early stages, could be substantial. The team identified a lithium-based compound that isn’t as readily bound by amyloid beta. When administered to both older healthy mice and those with Alzheimer’s, this compound seemed to prevent the typical brain damage and memory loss. In contrast, current top treatments for Alzheimer’s only modestly slow its progression.
While other lithium forms are used in psychiatry, particularly for depression, these typically require high doses that may lead to side effects. Interestingly, the compound used in this study was effective at a much lower dose, and there were no observed toxic effects.
Chang commented that further clinical trials on humans are essential to determine if an appropriate type and dosage of lithium can prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease.
Yankner and his team are proceeding with plans to test their compound in humans. Looking forward, their discovery might enable the possibility of screening individuals for Alzheimer’s risk by measuring lithium levels. There remains much to uncover about the role of lithium in brain health.
“As a neuroscientist, I’m eager to delve into the physiology of lithium in the brain,” Yankner remarked. “I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what is likely to be an intriguing biology.”
