A new study suggests that inhaling xenon gas could potentially treat Alzheimer's disease by altering the activity of microglia, the brain's immune cells. These changes promote the clearance of amyloid plaques, reduce inflammation, and may even support neuronal connections.
Xenon, one of the six noble gases, earned its name from the Greek word for 'strange'. In medicine, it's been used as an anesthetic since the early 20th century. A new study from Washington University and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, in the US, has explored the potential of xenon to treat brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.
These changes, observed in all brains of individuals with dementia, include clumps of amyloid and tau proteins. Alzheimer's disease also involves the loss of connections between neurons called synapses, crucial for our ability to think, feel, move, and remember. A final common feature in Alzheimer's brains is inflammation, the body's response to injury or disease that triggers an immune response to heal damaged tissue. Typically, inflammation subsides once the tissue heals. However, in Alzheimer's, it persists, and the triggered immune responses can damage healthy brain cells.The accumulation of protein clumps and the loss of synapses occur over decades, and it's unclear if directly targeting a single protein (either amyloid or tau) would halt disease progression or produce a measurable effect on all the characteristic harms. The brain comprises various cell types working together to support brain function. Neurons are responsible for all our actions, from walking and talking to thinking and breathing. Astrocytes provide energy to neurons, structural support, and protective functions. Microglia, another crucial cell type, are immune cells that help remove pathogens and dead cells, among other activities. However, if overactive, they can cause chronic inflammation in the brain.Microglia exist in different states depending on their environment, ranging from inactive to active. These states can be determined by their appearance and, importantly, their functions. For example, active microglia can clear accumulated debris, such as unwanted proteins, cells, and infections. Scientists in this latest study used mice with the same brain changes seen in Alzheimer's to investigate the role of microglia. They identified a specific active state of microglia associated with inflammation. The researchers administered xenon gas to the mice through inhalation, which altered the state of their microglia. This change allowed the microglia to surround, engulf, and destroy amyloid deposits. It also shifted the function of these microglia, preventing further inflammation. The researchers observed a reduction in both the number and size of amyloid deposits, all linked to this altered microglial state. Furthermore, the study suggested that xenon inhalation could potentially (a common feature of Alzheimer's disease) and lead to an increase in support for the connections between neurons. In all the studied mice, markers of excessive inflammatory response were reduced.Overall, the research indicates that inhaling xenon triggers active microglia to transition from an Alzheimer's disease-type active state to a pre-Alzheimer's state. This pre-Alzheimer's state promotes the clearance of amyloid deposits and reduces the cell messengers that cause excessive inflammation. There are currently no drugs that target microglia in Alzheimer's, although progress has been made in addressing amyloid accumulation. Current drugs aiming to reduce amyloid in the brain offer some improvement, but what about other changes occurring in the brain, such as tau deposits, brain shrinkage, and synapse loss? This new research opens the possibility of targeting a cell type with the inherent potential to affect all these characteristic harms. Clinical trials in healthy volunteers are expected to commence this year. If these findings hold true, xenon could provide a completely novel approach to this debilitating disease. It would be a treatment that doesn't directly target amyloid but rather aims to reset the brain's immune response to counteract all the disease's destructive changes. Stranger things have happened
ALZHEIMER's DISEASE XENON MICROGLIA INFLAMMATION NEURONAL CONNECTIONS
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