Keiwan Rezaiezadeh along with his colleagues at South California University has found that a brain protein – called Glut1 – is often associated with Alzheimer's disease, but has now been found in young brains
The substance is responsible for carrying glucose across the blood-brain barrier that helps to protect the organ, Iran Daily reported.
Alzheimer's patients often show a shortage of the Glut1 protein.
Researchers of University of Southern California in the Keck School of Medicine believe a shortage of this protein could not only indicate the presence of the disease, but may actually aggravate symptoms.
'We do not know yet whether medicine can restore Glut1 expression, but we believe that targeting the protein may help prevent Alzheimer's from getting worse among individuals predisposed to develop the disease,' the researchers said.
Human brain uses glucose as its main energy source, and Glut1 carries the chemical over the protective blood-brain layer. This protective barrier normally prevents pathogens in the blood from entering brain tissue.
Studies have shown a reduction in glucose uptake among people with a genetic disposition toward the disease, as well as those who have the disease, but do not show symptoms.
Mice with Glut1 deficiencies were examined as part of the study, and low concentrations of the protein were found to reduce the uptake of glucose by the brain, and result in behavioral changes in the rodents.
Brain also started to degenerate, and the blood-brain barrier was reduced in rats as young as six months old. Alzheimer's disease is believed to be fueled by increasing concentrations of amyloid-beta peptides in brain, which results from a breakdown in the barrier.
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