Cholesterol may disrupt the brain’s cleaning system in Alzheimer’s disease
New Scientist · Michael Marshall ·
The glymphatic system flushes toxins out of the brain, but this seems to be disrupted in Alzheimer's disease, and cholesterol may be involved
The glymphatic network seems particularly important for brain health
The flow of fluid through the brain was drastically reduced in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, and cholesterol may be responsible. Disruption to the glymphatic system, the brain’s waste-clearance network, contributes to the build-up of harmful proteins associated with the condition. Now, cholesterol has been linked to a reduction of this circulation, perhaps by blocking crucial passages within the brain.
However, this is far from established and many questions remain. “I would regard this more as a hypothesis-generating piece,” says Roslyn Bill at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, who wasn’t involved in the research.
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