A new study published in Nature Communications has identified a compound produced by gut bacteria as a potential target for reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk. The compound, imidazole propionate (ImP), is generated by certain bacteria in the digestive tract. Researchers showed that when ImP reaches the brain in mice, it promotes the accumulation of abnormal protein clumps (beta-amyloid and tau), which is a key feature of Alzheimer’s and leads to neuron death. In a study involving nearly 1,200 people, those with higher blood levels of ImP were more likely to show markers of dementia-related protein dysfunction and experienced faster cognitive decline. The researchers also found a genetic variation (present in about 43% of the study participants) that affects how well the kidneys filter out ImP, linking it to increased Alzheimer’s risk. The implication is that developing an inhibitor to reduce ImP levels in the blood could help lower Alzheimer’s risk and slow cognitive decline in some people.
About the Author
