Scientists at the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and KU Leuven have uncovered a key mechanism that helps nerve cells maintain their extensions, crucial for brain communication.
Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, could also provide insight into Alzheimer’s disease, in which early loss of connections between brain cells occurs. The study was supported by the Stop Alzheimer foundation.
The research focused on axons, the long extensions of nerve cells responsible for their communication.
Axons have their own local protein production system to sustain these connections. Disruption of this system weakens the axons, eventually leading to cell death.
The team identified Eif5a, a protein that plays a vital role in this process. For Eif5a to function, it must undergo a chemical transformation known as hypusination.
In neurodegenerative disease models, the active form of Eif5a disappears from axons, halting local protein production and damaging the extensions.
Remarkably, scientists found that spermidine, a natural compound, could partially restore this mechanism. It boosts protein production and fortifies nerve cell extensions.
Though primarily focused on ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), the study has broader implications for Alzheimer’s.
Early loss of nerve connections is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Joost Martens, director of Stop Alzheimer, highlighted this significance: "Neurodegeneration often begins far from the cell nucleus, in the delicate branches connecting neurons."
He emphasised the importance of fundamental research, noting that the study’s focus on these vulnerable structures could contribute to strategies for combating Alzheimer’s in the long term.
