Excess of Key Brain Protein May Predict Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms, Scientists Find

Scientists in Florida have been able to identify a brain protein that is associated with neuroinflammation – a potential early predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. According to experts, excess levels of TSPO

were found in young mice and human tissue, suggesting the disease's underlying inflammatory processes can begin decades before the onset of symptoms. This discovery is extremely important as it offers the possibility of detecting Alzheimer's earlier – thereby delaying its progression and improving patient outcomes. Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that can slowly destroy your memory and thinking skills - eventually leading to the inability to carry out simple daily tasks. It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 70 per cent of cases. Data says more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's – and the number can even reach 13 million by 2050.

How was the experiment conducted?

The research, published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica revealed that mouse models had elevated levels of 18 kDa or TSPO - found in animals as young as six weeks, corresponding to 18-20 years of age in humans. This was found in the subiculum, a part of the brain vital for memory. A similar pattern was found in human brain tissue taken postmortem from nine people in Colombia with a genetic mutation that causes them to develop Alzheimer's relatively early in their 30s and 40s. "Neuroinflammation is a very early event in Alzheimer's that influences its onset,” said Tomás Guilarte, a neuroscientist from FIU who was involved in the experiment. “If we can use TSPO to detect it early, right at the beginning stages of the disease, it could mean slowing progression or delaying symptoms by five or six years. That's five or six years where someone has a better quality of life,” he added. Researchers said they found higher levels of TSPO in female mice, which shows that women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Also, according to scientists, whenever there is a spike in TSPO, which coincides with the emergence of amyloid-beta plaques, protein clumps are strongly associated with the disease.

What causes the boost in TSPO?

Scientists say the increase in TSPO in the form of immune cells – known as microglia was in contact with the plaques, which had both increased in number and produced more TSPO in response to the plaque build-up. This is a major breakthrough when it comes to knowing about how Alzheimer's originates, also giving important clues on the kinds of chemical reactions that might be used to slow or even stop its progress. The study mostly focused on early onset and genetic cases of Alzheimer's, which are much less common. However, the researchers are now working on ways to expand on this study to further pinpoint the role of TSPO.

What are the risk factors of Alzheimer’s?

While experts may not know why some people get Alzheimer’s disease and others don’t, a few risk factors include:

• Being Black or Latino
• Environmental factors
• Genetic changes
• Having a traumatic brain injury
• Smoking
• Your overall health
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity