APOE4/4 is linked to damaging lipid droplets in Alzheimer's disease microglia. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38480892/)

These scientists wanted to understand how certain genes and fats in the brain might be related to Alzheimer's disease, which is a condition that affects the brain and memory. They studied brain tissue from people with Alzheimer's disease and found a type of brain cell called microglia that had a lot of a specific enzyme called ACSL1. They noticed that these microglia were more common in people with a specific genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

To learn more, the scientists grew microglia in the lab from special cells and exposed them to a substance called fibrillar Abeta, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease. They found that when these microglia were exposed to fibrillar Abeta, they started making more fats and storing them in tiny droplets in the cells. This process seemed to be influenced by another gene called APOE.

Furthermore, the scientists discovered that when these microglia released certain substances, it caused another protein in the brain called Tau to change in a harmful way and become toxic to brain cells. This process also seemed to be affected by the APOE gene.

Based on their findings, the scientists believe that there might be a connection between certain genes, fats in the brain, and harmful effects on brain cells in Alzheimer's disease. This could help in developing new treatments for the condition in the future.

Haney MS., Palovics R., Munson CN., Long C., Johansson PK., Yip O., Dong W., Rawat E., West E., Schlachetzki JCM., Tsai A., Guldner IH., Lamichhane BS., Smith A., Schaum N., Calcuttawala K., Shin A., Wang YH., Wang C., Koutsodendris N., Serrano GE., Beach TG., Reiman EM., Glass CK., Abu-Remaileh M., Enejder A., Huang Y., Wyss-Coray T. APOE4/4 is linked to damaging lipid droplets in Alzheimer's disease microglia. Nature. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07185-7.