MRIs show brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s years in advance
A thickening cortex, as shown in MRIs, preceded amyloid-beta accumulation, a known hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, by up to seven years.
A research team from the Altered Molecular Mechanism in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia laboratory has discovered elevated levels of the protein meprin-β in the brains and cerebrospinal fluid of people with Alzheimer's disease. Published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, the study reveals that the active form of this protein is higher in advanced stages of the disease, correlating with increased beta-amyloid accumulation, one of the disease's hallmarks.
Meprin-β is an enzyme that can exist in different forms, and the researchers examined its immature, inactive form and its mature, active form separately. The findings show that meprin-β levels rise in more advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, while this increase was not observed in the early stages. Additionally, the team detected an increase in the messenger RNA (MEP1B) for producing meprin-β at intermediate and advanced stages.
The elevated meprin-β levels in cerebrospinal fluid, obtained through a lumbar puncture, suggest its potential as an indicator of the disease. The researchers propose that meprin-β could be involved in processes related to amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, although further studies are required to confirm this link and explore its potential as an indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
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