ISTANBUL

Scientists found that glycogen, a stored sugar in brain cells, helps manage oxidative stress through its metabolism and may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published Monday.

The research, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, revealed that glycogen stores in neurons help protect the brain from toxic tau -- a key factor in the progression of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline by supporting sugar metabolism.

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research found that in fly and human cell models, neurons accumulate glycogen that tau protein binds to, trapping glycogen and preventing its breakdown, which contributes to disease progression.

When glycogen cannot be broken down, neurons cannot manage oxidative stress, worsening neurodegeneration, however, increasing enzyme glycogen phosphorylase (GlyP) clears excess sugar and stops tau from attaching to it.

Increasing GlyP levels in neurons from frontotemporal dementia patients boosts the brain’s ability to remove harmful substances, indicating the approach could help restart detoxification in neurodegenerative diseases.

“By discovering how neurons manage sugar, we may have unearthed a novel therapeutic strategy: one that targets the cell's inner chemistry to fight age-related decline," according to study lead Sudipta Bar.