Researchers discover toxic process involving ‘jumping genes’
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have made a groundbreaking discovery involving “jumping genes” that could shed light on the toxic process behind Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy.
In a recent study published in Science Advances, Dr. Elizabeth Ochoa and her mentor, Dr. Bess Frost, found that an inflammatory trigger similar to that seen in viral infections is elevated in these neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers identified tau-induced “jumping genes” that produce double-stranded RNA, which mimics the inflammatory trigger present in viral infections.
According to Dr. Ochoa, these double-stranded RNAs can look like a virus to the immune system, even though they are a part of our normal genome. The researchers detected the accumulation of double-stranded RNA in postmortem brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, as well as in mouse and fruit fly models of tauopathy.
Dr. Frost noted that the findings open new doors for understanding astrocyte biology and their role in controlling transposable elements. Astrocytes are cells that provide support for neurons and play a crucial role in maintaining brain health.
The researchers conducted experiments in fruit flies to confirm their findings, and they also studied brain tissue from mouse models and postmortem human brains affected by tauopathy. This research is particularly significant as the team is currently targeting jumping gene activation in a Phase II clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease patients.
The study was supported by various organizations, including the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, the Rainwater Foundation, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The researchers hope that their findings will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms driving neuroinflammation in these devastating diseases.
For more information on this groundbreaking research, you can access the study published in Science Advances on January 6, 2023.
