Findings: BrightFocus-funded researchers discovered that mitochondria—the energy powerhouses of cells—are dysfunctional in the brain early in Alzheimer's disease, long before symptoms of dementia appear. Using three types of mice engineered to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Eugenia Trushina, co-investigator Dr. Joseph Poduslo, and colleagues determined the chemical “fingerprints” of metabolism in the nerve cells—that is, they compared the levels of sugars, fats, proteins, etc., to the levels found in healthy mice. They found that the mitochondria in Alzheimer's brains were not functioning properly and tended to lose their integrity, even before the disease symptoms had started to show. In addition, they determined that the diseased mitochondria were present at the connection points between the nerve cells involved in maintaining memory.

Significance: This BrightFocus-funded research provides more clues on what goes wrong inside of the brain at very early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The next step will be to look for the same mitochondrial “fingerprints” in humans, to aid in early detection and opportunities for treatment before the disease progresses. In addition, this research will help with the design of future drugs to restore the brain cells' energy balance.

• Mayo Clinic press release
• Original scientific publication
• Drs. Eugenia Trushina and Joseph Poduslo's BrightFocus-funded research