A study published in Cell Metabolism found that an amino acid, which was previously thought to aid cognition and memory, can actually stimulate a gene which leads to the onset of Alzheimer’s
Scientists studying dementia have discovered that an amino acid, previously believed to boost cognition and memory, can actually trigger a gene that causes Alzheimer’s to develop. It comes as a neurologist warned about a common habit done before bed that could risk brain health.
Research published in Cell Metabolism expanded on earlier studies examining an enzyme called ‘PGDH’ which is commonly detected in older people’s blood and can trigger Alzheimer’s whilst also impacting over half of those suffering from dementia.
The NHS website states that more than 944,000 people across the UK are living with dementia, with one in 11 individuals over 65 affected.
Dementia describes various conditions that impact memory, thinking, language, mood changes and general brain function.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain condition that destroys memory, cognitive abilities and the capacity to perform daily tasks, reports Surrey Live.
It represents the leading cause of dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society argues that research into these conditions receives insufficient funding, with cancer research attracting four times as many scientists as dementia studies.
Following their findings, the study’s researchers are cautioning against taking supplements containing the amino acid serine and using such supplements as an Alzheimer’s treatment.
The scientists discovered, by examining brain soft tissue, that PGDH enzyme levels were significantly elevated in adults with Alzheimer’s disease, including those with “a-symptomatic” dementia forms.
PGDH is the crucial enzyme responsible for producing the amino acid serine, and this elevated level of PGDH in Alzheimer’s sufferers indicates they are already generating above-normal amounts of serine.
Study co-author Riccardo Calandrelli, a research associate in Professor Sheng Zhong’s laboratory, warned: “Anyone looking to recommend or take serine to mitigate Alzheimer’s symptoms should exercise caution.”
The research revealed that heightened PGDH presence can also serve as a marker for dementia severity and the extent of cognitive deterioration.
PGDH concentrations were significantly elevated in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, leading scientists to believe it could become the foundation for a groundbreaking early dementia screening capable of detecting the condition’s onset even in healthy individuals.
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“The fact that this gene’s expression level directly correlates with both a person’s cognitive ability and disease pathology is remarkable,” said Professor Zhong.
“Being able to quantify both of these complex metrics with a single molecular measurement could potentially make diagnosis and monitoring progression of Alzheimer’s disease much simpler.”