A team of researchers, led by Mroj Alassaf at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States, have made a groundbreaking discovery linking obesity to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Their study, which used the common fruit fly as a model organism, demonstrated that a diet rich in sugar, which is a common characteristic of obesity, leads to insulin resistance in the brain. This insulin resistance then inhibits the brain’s ability to clear out neuronal debris, thereby increasing the risk of neurodegeneration. The findings of this study were published on November 7 in the open access journal PLOS Biology and are expected to significantly influence future therapies aimed at reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Obesity has long been recognized as a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, the specific mechanisms through which obesity contributes to these disorders have remained largely unclear. This recent study sought to shed light on this mystery by leveraging the genetic similarities between humans and fruit flies.
The researchers had previously demonstrated that a high-sugar diet induces insulin resistance in the peripheral organs of fruit flies. In this study, they extended their research to the brains of these flies. They focused their attention on glial cells, as dysfunction in these cells is known to result in neural degeneration.
The protein PI3k serves as an indicator of a cell’s responsiveness to insulin. The researchers observed that a high sugar diet resulted in lowered PI3k levels in glial cells, which is indicative of insulin resistance. They also examined the fly equivalent of microglia, known as ensheathing glia. These cells are primarily responsible for removing neural debris such as degenerating axons. It was noted that these cells had low levels of the protein Draper, suggesting impaired function.
Subsequent tests revealed that artificially reducing PI3k levels resulted in both insulin resistance and low Draper levels in ensheathing glia. Moreover, they demonstrated that when olfactory neurons were damaged, the ensheathing glia in the high sugar diet flies were unable to remove the degenerating axons due to their low Draper levels.
The researchers concluded, “Using fruit flies, we have established that high-sugar diets trigger insulin resistance in glia, disrupting their ability to clear neuronal debris. This study provides insight into how diets that induce obesity potentially contribute to the increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders.”
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In conclusion, this groundbreaking research has shed new light on the link between obesity and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. It underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and regular exercise, as well as taking personalized vitamin supplements to ensure optimal nutrition.
