Live brain cell study offers fresh hope in fight against Alzheimer’s, here’s what you need to know

According to the study, the brain needs a perfect and just right amount of the protein to work properly (Image: Canva)

In a powerful new study, scientists have, for the first time, watched how a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease damages real, living human brain cells. By using brain tissue donated during routine surgeries, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that even tiny changes in the levels of a protein called amyloid beta can mess with how brain cells connect and communicate. This innovative approach could help speed up the search for drugs that really work.

Looking into real human brain:

For years, most Alzheimer’s research has relied on lab animals like mice. While useful, they don’t quite show what’s really happening in the human brain. That’s why this new method, using tiny slices of healthy human brain tissue, feels like a positive shift. These samples, donated by patients undergoing brain surgery, are kept alive in lab dishes for weeks.

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Dr Claire Durrant and her team exposed these living brain cells to amyloid beta and found that, when the protein was in its toxic form, it clung to the connections between cells and damaged them. Even more worrying, the brain tissue didn’t even try to repair itself afterward.

According to the study, even small shifts in amyloid beta levels, up or down, were enough to throw off the brain’s natural balance. The researchers say this shows the brain needs a perfect and just right amount of the protein to work properly.

Moreover, the study also showed that tissue from the brain’s temporal lobe, a region hit early by Alzheimer’s, was releasing more of another harmful protein called tau. That may help explain why this area of the brain is especially vulnerable early on.

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This work was made possible through support from Race Against Dementia, a charity started by racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart, and a generous donation from the James Dyson Foundation. Stewart said this breakthrough proves what can happen when science, speed, and collaboration come together. “We’re getting closer to a world without dementia,” he said.

5 reasons this study matters for Alzheimer’s research: 

• Real human brain cells, not lab mice: Researchers used living brain tissue from actual people, which gives us much more accurate insights into how Alzheimer’s works.

• Spotting protein damage as it happens: They saw toxic amyloid beta clinging to brain cell connections and stopping them from healing, a direct view of how the disease causes damage.

• The brain’s delicate balance: Too much or too little amyloid beta throws off brain function. Understanding this could lead to treatments that keep things in that healthy sweet spot.

• Tau protein’s early warning sign: Tissue from the brain’s temporal lobe released more tau, suggesting why this part of the brain breaks down first in Alzheimer’s.

• Faster drug testing: Because the tissue stays alive for weeks, scientists can test potential treatments right away on human cells, saving time and possibly leading to better results.