A new link was recently discovered between BRCA1 (a protein that heightens the risk of breast cancer) and Alzheimer's, Time reports.
It has been widely known that the BRCA gene, when mutated, is the primary contributor for breast and ovarian cancers. However, a recent report has got researchers saying that the gene can be responsible for the death of nerves associated to Alzheimer's disease.
Based on the journal report from Nature Communications, Lennart Mucke and his group at Gladstone institute of Neurological Disease discovered that the BRCA1 gene can affect the nerve cells' capability to fix their DNA.
Mucke also found that when he bred mice with BRCA1, it can be mutated in a lot of ways. For example, there are certain changes that can support the tumor growth for breast cancer. Interestingly, BRCA1 appears to be responsible for repairing DNA as well. Repair isn't possible though for animals with low levels of BRCA1resulting to memory issues.
The scientist examined the autopsy brains to check for the BRCA1 levels in deceased humans with Alzheimer's. He found that the BRCA1 level were significantly 75% lower than the brains with no Alzheimer's manifestation. These results imply that the link between the gene and Alzheimer's is worth looking into.
He says, "We think amyloid probably comes first. That depletes BRCA1 and that then leads to the accumulation of DNA damage because they aren't repaired properly. That very likely has an impact on the expression of many genes involved in learning and memory."
If BRCA1 depletion starts in early life, there is a big possibility that the brain is trying to make up for it by looking for different methods of fixing the DNA damage. It means that the overall result isn't as dramatic.
But if the changes start late, the effect may be powerful because the brain didn't have the time to seek for other ways to fix the DNA damage.
The new discovery could lead to a path for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. "According to our study, deficits in DNA repair seem to contribute to the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease," says Mucke. "That becomes an interesting strategy for potentially improving DNA repair as a way to treat the disease, something that has not yet been widely pursued."
