American researchers from the University of Vermont conducted a preclinical study and discovered the cause of cerebral blood flow issues in vascular dementia. As the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports, a deficit of a specific substance in cell membranes proved to be the key factor.
The investigators determined that a phospholipid called PIP2 regulates the function of the Piezo1 protein. This protein resides in the walls of brain vessels and manages the response to blood pressure. When PIP2 levels decline, the channel becomes overly active. This results in impairments in blood flow regulation, which is typical for vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
During experiments, the scientists replenished the shortage of this substance, which permitted the protein’s operation to stabilize and restore proper brain blood supply. The obtained findings offer optimism for developing novel therapeutic approaches that will target the vascular system to support human cognitive abilities.
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