Alzheimer’s Disease is a chronic neurodegenerative condition that affects millions of people across the world. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior, making daily life quite difficult for individuals who suffer from it.
According to the World Health Organization, the disease affects 47.5 million people worldwide, and the number is expected to triple by 2050.
In a new study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia, they have found that a protein called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is present naturally in the liver during fetal development, could possibly help combat Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Study
The scientists in the study looked at the ways they could use AFP to reduce the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides in the brain’s nerve cells, which is the primary cause of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The researchers noticed that when they combined AFP with amyloid beta peptides, it would “stick” to the protein and remove it from the neurons in the brain. The study’s lead author, Dr.
Yuyi You, described the process as “a bit like a pacman effect, whereby the AFP proteins hunt down and remove the amyloid beta proteins, ultimately clearing them from the brain.” This news is significant as it provides a new potential drug target for Alzheimer’s Disease treatment.
Pregnancy Protein vs. Alzheimer’s Disease
Alpha-fetoprotein is known to boost immunity during pregnancy, and its effects on the immune system are derived from the presence of adaptive immune cells that come from the fetus via the placenta. According to Dr.
You, AFP gets rid of amyloid beta peptides, which might prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages. Dr. You added that they already knew AFP actively reduces inflammation in the brain and can enhance repair, so finding out that AFP can fight Alzheimer’s disease was not such a significant leap.
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Previous Research on AFP
The study’s findings build upon previous research examining the role of alpha-fetoprotein in adults. A 2018 study reported that the protein can reduce inflammation and help regenerate neural cells in adult mice.
That research showed that when AFP was injected into the bodies of adult mice, their motor and cognitive functions improved. It is still unclear how long AFP’s effects last, and additional studies will need to be conducted to determine if similar results occur in humans being treated for Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. While the FDA has approved drugs to alleviate symptoms associated with the disease, drugs like Namenda, Exelon, and Aricept only prolong cognitive function.
None of these drugs slow down the degeneration of the brain, and there is a desperate need for disease-modifying therapies. Researchers are hopeful that Dr. You and his team’s work with AFP could help create better treatments that help modify Alzheimer’s, if not cure it.
Summary
The study indicates that AFP could offer new hope for a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers looking at how antibodies remove amyloid beta peptides from dead neurons noticed that AFP had a pacman effect on the protein.
AFP helps reduce inflammation in the brain and enhances repair. Additionally, AFP boosts immunity during pregnancy, whereby its effects on the immune system come from adaptive immune cells that build up in the fetus via the placenta.
If AFP could be used to treat Alzheimer’s successfully, it could be the dawn of disease-modifying therapies. However, further research will need to be carried out before AFP can be used clinically to treat Alzheimer’s Disease.
