Alzheimer’s disease is one of the main causes of dementia worldwide. Scientists are still trying to figure out the exact reason behind it, but recent research has highlighted one possible factor stress granules (SGs). These are tiny clumps of proteins and RNA that appear in cells when they are under stress.
Dr Virajrao Kore, Consultant Geriatrician, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune shares root cause of Alzheimer’s identified.
Stress granules are small, temporary structures inside cells that help protect them when they face harmful conditions like toxins or inflammation. Normally, they disappear once the stress is gone. However, in Alzheimer’s disease, these granules don’t go away.
Instead, they stick around and interfere with the normal functioning of cells. This can change how genes work, leading to the creation of harmful proteins like tau. Tau proteins can clump together, causing brain cell damage a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Because of this, stress granules act like a double-edged sword too.
The link between stress granules and Alzheimer’s disease is important for both diagnosis and treatment. Scientists believe that by controlling these granules, they might be able to slow down or stop the disease from getting worse. These granules could also help doctors detect Alzheimer’s early, making it possible to start treatment sooner and improve patient care.
Finding out that stress granules play a major role in Alzheimer’s disease is a significant breakthrough in understanding this illness. It gives researchers new ideas for developing medicines and treatments. This discovery brings hope for better ways to manage, treat, and possibly even cure Alzheimer’s in the future.