A team from the US and Sweden has uncovered a complex interaction between LXR and TR receptors, which work in tandem to support brain health, EurekAlert reports . It has been established that liver and thyroid receptors form a single pathway through which the endocrine system regulates cholesterol homeostasis.
Experiments have shown that both receptors are necessary for normal brain development and function. For example, the liver receptor LXR plays a crucial role in regulating thyroid hormone function in the brain. Loss of LXR function leads to neurodegeneration in several brain regions.
This discovery could radically change our understanding of the nature of neurodegeneration and lead to new treatments for dementia, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions. Scientists now plan to use these new targets to prevent or reverse these diseases.
In future experiments, they will test LXR activation to combat amyloid plaques in the brain, a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Previously, other scientists discovered that Alzheimer's disease damages the brain in two stages. Initially, only a few types of vulnerable brain cells are damaged, while in the second stage, more widespread damage occurs, accompanied by external symptoms.
