Alzheimer’s & Whole Body Health: New Study Findings
Groundbreaking research reveals that Alzheimer’s disease impacts more than just the brain, affecting organs throughout the body. Latest findings, utilizing fruit flies, shed light on the complex interplay between brain and body during neurodegeneration.Scientists are now focused on identifying new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s research, utilizing a unique Fly Cell Atlas to map how Alzheimer’s-associated proteins like Aβ42 and Tau impact various tissues. The study, published today, pinpoints specific sensory neurons, including those responsible for smell, that are affected by the disease. This research could revolutionize our understanding of Alzheimer’s and pave the way for early detection and more effective treatments. Find this and other critically important medical news at News Directory 3. Discover what’s next in Alzheimer’s research, and explore the possibilities for improved patient care.
Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Organs Beyond the Brain,Study Shows
Updated June 18,2025
Alzheimer’s disease,primarily considered a brain disorder,may also impact othre organs,according to new research. Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, and other institutions are exploring how Alzheimer’s disease affects tissues throughout the body. Their work,utilizing fruit flies,offers insights into brain-body communication during neurodegeneration and could lead to new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s research.
Dr. Hongjie Li,assistant professor at Baylor,said researchers created an Alzheimer’s Disease Fly Cell Atlas to understand how the disorder affects other organs.The atlas profiles genes expressed by single cells in 219 cell types in the heads and bodies of fruit flies with Alzheimer’s.
The team induced Alzheimer’s in fruit flies by expressing Aβ42 or tau proteins in neurons, focusing on adult characteristics and avoiding developmental effects. They then analyzed changes in the brains and other organs.
Ye-Jin Park, a graduate student, noted that expressing Aβ42 or Tau in neurons impacted both neurons and other tissues. Aβ42 primarily affected the nervous system, notably sensory neurons involved in vision, hearing, and smell. A decline in the sense of smell can be an early symptom of Alzheimer’s, and the study identified specific olfactory neurons affected by Aβ42 in fruit flies.
Dr. Tzu-Chiao Lu, a postdoctoral associate, said that Tau expression in neurons led to changes mostly in peripheral tissues, such as altered fat metabolism, digestion, and reduced fertility. These changes mimic age-associated changes, suggesting that Tau expression accelerates aging. Neuronal connectivity and other factors mediating brain-body communication were disrupted in Tau flies.
Hugo Bellen, a professor at Baylor, said the Alzheimer’s Disease Fly Cell Atlas improves understanding of how Alzheimer’s-associated proteins, Aβ42 and Tau, affect an organism as a whole.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Fly Cell Atlas is a resource for the neurodegeneration research community, enabling further exploration of whole-body changes and brain-body interactions in Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s next
Researchers plan to further investigate the specific mechanisms by which Aβ42 and Tau proteins affect different organs, with the goal of identifying potential drug targets and diagnostic markers for Alzheimer’s disease.