A Single Molecule Has Given Dementia Researchers New Hope For Treatment

Different types of conditions fall under the umbrella of dementia. There’s the most common form, Alzheimer’s disease, but also lesser-known types like frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. 

The second-most common form, meanwhile, is vascular dementia, which is related to the blood flow to our brains. 

Heart health seems to be key to preventing most forms of dementia.

Now, new research has suggested that a single molecule called PIP2 could help to improve blood flow to the brain, potentially reducing dementia risk.

Why might PIP2 reduce dementia risk? 

This study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, built upon existing research that highlighted the importance of endothelial cells (which line blood vessels) in creating a smooth blood flow. 

The researchers looked at the protein Piezo1 which, when overworked, slows blood flow down. 

A fat molecule called PIP2, meanwhile, was found to be abnormally low in mice with Alzheimer’s. Researchers think PIP2 acts as a kind of braking system on Piezo1.

When researchers gave those mice PIP2, blood flow to the brain went back to normal.

This could mean that adding PIP2 “back into a person’s circulatory system could restore normal brain blood flow and reduce symptoms of dementia,” the University of Vermont shared, calling the finding “a possible new treatment for impaired brain blood flow and related dementias”.

Dr Osama Harraz, who co-authored the study, also told the university: “This discovery is a huge step forward in our efforts to prevent dementia and neurovascular diseases. 

“We are uncovering the complex mechanisms of these devastating conditions, and now we can begin to think about how to translate this biology into therapies.”

What next? 

We’re still not sure yet exactly why PIP2 seemed to have this effect, or exactly what makes Piezo1 dysregulated enough to disrupt blood flow. 

“Clarifying these mechanisms will be essential for refining PIP₂-based or Piezo1-targeted therapeutic strategies to restore healthy neurovascular function in dementia and related vascular disorders,” the University of Vermont said. 

That likely means PIP2-related treatments are far away, but this study, the institution shared, means therapies for vascular dementia may be “on the horizon”.