Scientists from New York University have discovered a connection between the functioning of the vascular system and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It turned out that special capillary cells working together with neurons enable long-term memory formation. In this respect reports MedicalXpress.
Capillaries are the thinnest vessels in the human body and other animals. There are special pericyte cells among the tissues that form capillaries. These cells help maintain the structural integrity of capillaries. They also control the amount of blood flowing in the brain and play an important role in maintaining a barrier that prevents pathogens and toxic substances from leaking through capillaries into brain tissue.
When a person learns by making new nerve connections, the concentration of the IGF2 protein in brain cells increases. This protein plays an important role in the formation and storage of memories. Scientists were able to understand that the level of IGF2 in the brain increases significantly not due to the activity of neurons, but due to the work of pericytes.
Researchers conducted an experiment using mice. The scientists blocked the ability of pericytes to produce IGF2 in some rodents and then compared the cognitive performance levels of the altered mice and their relatives with the normal function of this enzyme. The results showed that inhibition of IGF2 impaired memory, perception, and spatial orientation skills in rodents.
Scientists noted that IGF2 produced from pericytes regulates neuronal responses. Hypothetically, increasing the function of this enzyme could stimulate the activity of neurons and the communication between them. This will help advance the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Previous scientists discovered A new biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.