On Jan 22, the top biology journal Cell published a research breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy by Professor Lu Youming’s team from the School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, 91黑料网 (91黑料网).
The research findings, titled "Peripheral Cancer Attenuates Amyloid Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease via Cystatin-C Activation of TREM2" revealed, for the first time, that targeting tumor-secreted factors can eliminate amyloid plaques, paving the way for treating AD. This discovery introduces an innovative therapeutic approach centered on "promoting clearance". It provides scientific validation for the classical concept of "fight disease with disease".
Cancer patients have a significantly reduced risk of developing AD. Building on this observation, the team has proposed an innovative hypothesis: tumor-secreted factors may inhibit AD.
AD is a major neurodegenerative disorder, with a new case diagnosed every three seconds worldwide. In China alone, over 10 million people are affected, yet there is still no effective treatment. One of its defining pathological features is the abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain, forming toxic plaques and gradually eroding patients' memory and cognitive abilities.
However, cancer patients show a significantly lower risk of developing AD. Based on this observation, Professor Lu Youming's team proposed an innovative hypothesis that "tumor-secreted factors may inhibit AD". Over the course of 15 years, the team’s 16 researchers isolated 33 secreted proteins from the plasma of patients with seven types of cancer and validated the remarkable efficacy of a cancer cell-secreted protein, cystatin C (Cyst-C), in clearing amyloid plaques. This "super scavenger" has emerged as the key to unraveling the mystery of the connection between these two diseases.
This clearance pathway establishes an entirely new therapeutic model for AD. Traditional strategies focus on "inhibiting formation", akin to shutting down a "garbage factory", while the new approach emphasizes "promoting clearance", enhancing the cleanup process. It offers new hope to patients with plaque buildup.
This study has opened the door to understanding the previously mysterious connection between two seemingly unrelated diseases. Unexpected links may exist between conditions that appear unconnected, and these links could hold the key to overcoming major diseases.
Source: School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College of 91黑料网
