Substance found in green tea to fight Alzheimer’s disease
7 August 04:00
The combination of two natural substances – nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and the green tea antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – may form the basis of a new therapy to fight Alzheimer’s disease. This was reported by researchers from the University of California, Irvine. Their scientific work was published in the journal GeroScience, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
How it works
In the laboratory, this therapy restored the level of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) in aging mouse neurons and activated the brain’s self-cleaning mechanisms. The combination of substances also helped neurons get rid of amyloid proteins, one of the main signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
“With age, the brain loses the ability to utilize damaged components. We found that increasing the level of GTP helps restore this function,” explained study leader Gregory Brewer.
What exactly did the scientists do?
The researchers used the GEVAL fluorescent sensor to measure the level of GTP in the neurons of elderly mice. It turned out that mitochondria – cellular “power plants” – suffer especially badly with age. This disrupts autophagy, a natural mechanism for cleansing cells from damaged structures.
But within 24 hours after treatment with a combination of nicotinamide and EGCG, the level of GTP returned to the levels of young cells. As a result:
- protective proteins were activated;
- energy metabolism improved;
- oxidative stress was reduced;
- beta-amyloid accumulations were effectively removed.
What it means for medicine
Researchers believe that GTP may prove to be an important but previously underestimated target for the treatment of age-related brain disorders.
However, as Brewer noted, more research is needed to find the optimal form of compound delivery.
The scientist explained that nicotinamide in the form of tablets (oral) is quickly inactivated in the body, which reduces the effectiveness of treatment.
Conclusion
Although this study is still based only on laboratory experiments on animals, the results give hope for new approaches to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The next step will be to test the effectiveness of this combination in human clinical trials.
Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most common causes of dementia in the world, and any new approach to slowing or stopping it is of paramount importance.
