Toxic fatty acids may become a new target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

A rodent study led by researchers at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine found that astrocytes, which normally feed neurons, also release toxic fatty acids when neurons are damaged

"Our findings indicate that the toxic fatty acids produced by astrocytes play an important role in brain cell death, providing a promising new target for treatment, and even preventing, many neurodegenerative diseases," said Shane Liddelow , PhD, who is the second author of the article and the corresponding researcher's paper published in the book "Nature"

The author pointed out that astrocytes are the astrocytes of the central nervous system (CNS), which will undergo functional changes in response to central nervous system diseases and injuries.

Research by Liddelow and colleagues demonstrated for the first time that tissue damage can prompt astrocytes to produce two types of fats: long-chain saturated free fatty acids and phosphatidylcholine

This study failed to identify proteins that may significantly mediate the toxicity of astrocytes, so the research team further purified the active ACM to look for toxic activity

They also genetically modified some mice to prevent the normal production of toxic fat and observe whether neuronal death occurs after acute injury

Liddelow, an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at New York University Langone Health, suggested that targeting these fats instead of cells producing them may be a safer way to treat neurodegenerative diseases, because astrocytes also have important functions for feeding Nerve cells remove waste

Liddelow said that although the reasons for the production of these toxins by astrocytes are not yet clear, they may have evolved to destroy damaged cells before they harm their neighbors

"Our findings provide the most detailed molecular map to date.

He warned that although these findings are promising, genetic technology used to prevent enzymes that produce toxic fatty acids in mice cannot be used in humans