An important scientific discovery of the research group led by prof. Antonio Brunetti, Ordinary professor of Endocrinology of the Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, she was published on the prestigious Lancet Ebiomedicine magazine. The study reveals a new molecular mechanism that connects neurodegenerative diseases, such as alzheimer’s disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s, are characterized by the accumulation of the Tau protein in the neurons, a process that leads to the progressive decline of cognitive functions. Several scientific evidence have already suggested a correlation between these pathologies and metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, assuming the existence of shared genetic bases. The team of prof. Brunetti deepened the role of the HMGA1 nuclear protein, called a real “biological switch”, for its ability to regulate the expression of the insulin receptor gene. Previous studies of the same research group had already identified a specific genetic variant, called RS146052672, associated with a reduced production of HMGA1 and an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic disorders.
In the new study, researchers show that low HMGA1 levels lead to an excessive production of the Tau protein. This effect has been observed in in vitro experimental models, in vivo and in a cohort of dementia patients. In the absence of HMGA1, in fact, the Tau protein tends to accumulate in the brain, contributing to neurodegeneration.
“These results – said prof. Brunetti – lead us to a New pathogenetic model that clarifies not only the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s but also the common molecular bases that combine these two diseases. Understanding the role of Hmga1 – underlined Brunetti – could open the way for new therapeutic strategies, useful both in the treatment of diabetes and in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases “.
The study is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration between researchers from the Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro and other Italian and European research centers, and represents an important step forward in understanding the complex intertwining between metabolism and neurodegeneration.