New discovery: the intestines and Alzheimer"s turned out to be connected

Revolutionary discovery: the intestine may be the key to solving Alzheimer's disease. An international team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin has found compelling evidence that inflammation in the intestine is directly linked to the accumulation of pathological proteins in the brain of patients with neurodegeneration. The results of this breakthrough study were published in the prestigious scientific journal Scientific Reports.

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to Scientific Reports, previous animal experiments had already hinted at the important role of the gut microbiome in transmitting signs of Alzheimer's disease to young mice. The current study sheds light on a possible mechanism of this process - chronic inflammation in the intestine.

During the large-scale study, scientists analyzed stool samples from 125 participants from two Alzheimer's disease prevention programs. Specialists measured the level of calprotectin - a key protein that serves as an indicator of inflammation in the intestine. Additionally, participants underwent a series of cognitive tests, completed questionnaires about family history of the disease, submitted genetic analyses, and some underwent neuroimaging to detect amyloid plaques in the brain.

The study revealed a striking pattern: calprotectin levels naturally increase with age, but in people with amyloid plaques - a characteristic sign of Alzheimer's disease - it was significantly higher than normal. Particularly alarming was the discovery that an increase in intestinal inflammation directly correlated with the growth of other biomarkers of the disease and a noticeable decrease in memory indicators. Notably, this relationship was observed even in participants without a clinical diagnosis of dementia.

"We have shown that people with Alzheimer's disease have more pronounced inflammation in the intestine. And those who have higher inflammation accumulate more amyloid plaques in the brain," explained psychologist Barbara Bendlin from the University of Wisconsin.

According to one of the leading hypotheses, changes in the gut microbiome increase the permeability of the intestinal barrier. As a result, inflammatory molecules and toxins freely enter the bloodstream, which can disrupt the protective functions of the brain, enhance neuroinflammation, and contribute to neuronal damage.

"Chronic, low-grade inflammation can accumulate damage unnoticed for years and eventually trigger neurodegenerative processes," noted bacteriologist Federico Rey, co-author of the study.

Currently, the scientific team continues a series of experiments on animal models, checking whether certain dietary changes that enhance inflammation in the intestine can provoke the development of Alzheimer's disease analogues in mice.

Despite decades of intensive research, effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease still does not exist. However, the new understanding of the role of the intestine and chronic inflammation significantly brings scientists closer to a more holistic picture of the disease and potentially opens revolutionary ways for prevention and therapy of this devastating ailment.