Pablo Martínez-Juarez
WriterEnvironmental economist and science journalist. For a few years, I worked as a researcher on the economics of climate change adaptation. Now I write about that and much more.
Formulating “theories of everything”—unified models that explain various phenomena in a scientific field—isn’t exclusive to physicists. Models that help explain the causes and consequences of diseases and the processes that mediate them can also aid in the fight against them.
New model. A group of researchers recently developed a model that attempts to explain Alzheimer’s disease through a “unified explanation of the molecular chaos” leading to this neurodegenerative disorder. According to the theory, the disease and its symptoms result from a collapse of the transport system responsible for moving molecules between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm.
This theory may help simplify the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the authors emphasize that the disorder remains highly intricate, involving more than 1,000 genes.
“Our proposal, focusing on the breakdown of communication between the nucleus and cytoplasm leading to massive disruptions in gene expression, offers a plausible framework to comprehensively understand the mechanisms driving this complex disease,” Alzheimer’s expert Paul Coleman, co-author of the model, explains.
A granular problem. The model places the formation of chronic stress granules at the root of the process. These are clusters of proteins and RNA strands responsible for generating stress in the cell.
Stress granules typically form temporarily. Their original function is to help cells respond to stress by pausing some processes until recovery. Once their job is done, they dissolve.
The problem arises when these granules become chronic, trapping other molecules and making it difficult for them to move between the nucleus and the rest of the cell.
From the inside out. The model uses this trigger to explain the disease’s effects beyond the cell. According to its creators, the changes occurring at the cellular level ultimately affect synapses, metabolism, protein processing, and cell survival.
The new model was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
A disease with many facets. Alzheimer’s is one of the most intriguing diseases, the researchers say. In part, that’s because it appears to be several diseases in one, with symptoms ranging from memory loss and cognitive decline to changes in personality and internal biology.
This complexity, the team notes, makes studying the disease particularly difficult. Models like this, which map out its processes, may help future researchers explore new avenues for developing more effective therapies to treat Alzheimer’s symptoms—or even the disease itself.
Image | Milad Fakurian (Unsplash)
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