In addition to a new approach in Alzheimer’s research, study from Buck Institute could explain why GLP-1 drugs show promise against dementia.
In addition to a new approach in Alzheimer’s research, study from Buck Institute could explain why GLP-1 drugs show promise against dementia.
A new study from scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging has revealed a surprising player in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia: brain sugar metabolism. Published in Nature Metabolism, the research uncovers how breaking down glycogen—a stored form of glucose—in neurons may protect the brain from toxic protein buildup and degeneration.
Glycogen is typically thought of as a reserve energy source stored in the liver and muscles. While small amounts also exist in the brain, particularly in support cells called astrocytes, its role in neurons has long been dismissed as negligible. “This new study challenges that view, and it does so with striking implications,” says Professor Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, senior scientist on the study. “Stored glycogen doesn’t just sit there in the brain; it is involved in pathology.”
Read more at Buck Institute for Research on Aging
