Scientists from the Cambridge Institute of Molecular Biology have discovered that detecting potentially dangerous substances through smell triggers the breakdown of special proteins in worms that have been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Research results published Aging of Nature.
Scientists conducted a study involving nematodes. These worms have a small number of cells and genes, many of which perform the same functions as humans.
The experiment showed that odorous substance molecules secreted by pathogenic bacteria cause the worms to avoid the source of the odor. In addition, the presence of a threat detected through the sense of smell triggers a reaction in the nematode’s body, including the effective processing of potentially toxic proteins. Such proteins in the human body are involved in the formation of amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex, which leads to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists suggest that mechanisms that trigger the breakdown of amyloid protein in response to the smell of potentially hazardous substances may also exist in humans. Manipulating the perception of chemicals could one day be a way to treat neurodegenerative and age-related diseases, the researchers added.
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