Scientists identify powerful weapon in fight against Alzheimer’s disease

Aerobic exercise significantly reduces

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”({“attribute=”” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>Alzheimer disease markers and improves brain health, providing a promising preventative strategy. Researchers are planning human trials to validate these results and explore new treatments.

New research by scientists from

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”({“attribute=”” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>University of Bristol (UK) and the Federal University of São Paulo (Brazil) found that regular aerobic exercise can significantly reduce disease markers linked to Alzheimer’s disease. These results offer promising new perspectives in the fight against this devastating disease.

Published in the journal Brain researchthe study reveals that physical activity not only protects healthy brain cells, but also helps restore balance in the aging brain.

Focus on the hippocampus and Alzheimer’s markers

The research focused on the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for memory and learning, and measured the impact of aerobic exercise on the main markers of Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid plaques , tau tangles, and iron accumulation in myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes. These markers are at the heart of Alzheimer’s pathology.

Results revealed that rodents that followed a structured aerobic exercise program experienced:

• Significant reductions in tau tangles (around 63% with exercise), amyloid plaques (around 76% in the exercise group), and iron accumulation (reduced by around 58% in rodent brains in exercise).
• Improved brain cell health, including increased numbers of protective oligodendrocytes.
• Reduction in brain inflammation in the exercise group (between 55% and 68% depending on the inflammatory biomarker considered) and cell death.
• Improved communication between brain cells, restoring critical balance to brain function as it ages.

Dr Augusto Coppi, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Bristol and one of the lead authors of the study, explained: “Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no known cure, which affects million people around the world. Although physical exercise is known to reduce cognitive decline, the cellular mechanisms behind its neuroprotective effects have remained elusive until now. This research highlights the potential of aerobic exercise as a cornerstone of preventive strategies against Alzheimer’s disease.

Public health implications and next steps

The main findings of the study include:

• Incorporating regular aerobic exercise into daily life could play a crucial role in slowing or preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Public health initiatives should prioritize exercise programs tailored to aging populations.

Researchers are now planning human clinical trials to confirm the protective effects observed in rodent models. They will also study drugs targeting iron metabolism and cell death as potential therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease.

Reference: “Tau ferroptosis, amyloid, iron, oligodendrocytes and inflammation in the hippocampal formation of aged rats subjected to an aerobic exercise program” by RC Gutierre, PR Rocha, AL Graciani, AA Coppi and RM Arida, December 25, 2024, Brain research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149419

The research was funded by CAPES-PRINT (Brazil), CNPq (Brazil) and FAPESP (Brazil) and demonstrates how international collaboration could address global health challenges.