The block in cellular transport would be caused by the accumulation in the brain of stress granules (SG), which are “membraneless cytoplasmic condensates containing untranslated mRNA, translation pre-initiation factors and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs)”.
These are aggregates of RNA and proteins that form in response to stress, which can be triggered by multiple factors, such as toxins from environmental pollution, the presence of pathogens, or malnutrition. Stress grains protect RNA and proteins and, accumulating in the brain, can gradually lead to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, or the death of neurons, which is the basis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists believe that recognizing and targeting these stress granules could represent a breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, as the disease has profound implications for society and future medical approaches. The details of the research, “Massive changes in gene expression and their cause(s) can be a unifying principle in the pathobiology of Alzheimer’s disease,” were published in the scientific journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
