Scientists at the University of Porto’s Institute for Health Research and Innovation have proved that vitamin C replacement in brain immunity cells delays the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
The I3S team “found that transport and consequent normalization of the concentration of Vitamina C Within microglia cells-the brain’s immune system-in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease, restores the normal functioning of these cells and delays the beginning and the progression of the disease”.
Camila Portugalfirst author of the study, this month in the scientific journal Redox Biologyexplains to Lusa that the team showed that, replacing vitamin C levels in microglia, it was possible to “restore the normal functioning of these cells in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease”.
“More importantly, the data indicate that this seems to be sufficient not only to delay the beginning of the disease, but also to delay the progression of the disease when it has already begun to manifest, he added.
João Relvasleader of the group that developed the investigation at the I3S and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Porto (FMUP), notes that it was also demonstrated “that It is the capture and not the supplementation of vitamin C which is critical”.
“That is, as vitamin C we can ingest, If we do not have the transport machinery working, it does not enter the microglia cells and its effect is null”He said.
The teacher says he has data “which indicates that the decrease in vitamin C transport is associated with neuroinflamation in other neurodegenerative diseases”, such as Parkinson’s disease, so, so, “This approach may eventually be transposed to other diseases” And there is already “some experimental data that support this strategy.”
To Renato Socodatowhich is part of the I3S Glial Cell Biology team, “this carrier can be considered a therapeutic target.”
In the study, the researchers resorted to “genetic engineering for Increase the expression of the carrier and, consequently, the Vitamin C uptake by microglia ”, but in the future they intend to use pharmacological agents.
“Ideally, the patient would take a medicine that would increase the level of the carrier and the capture of vitamin C from microglia, which would confer some protection against Alzheimer’s disease, ”he explained.
The team is already evaluating thousands of pharmacological compounds to find a molecule that can maintain the proper levels of the carrier and, consequently, vitamin C within cells. ”
I3S describes that Vitamina C is essential for the normal functioning of the brain, “acting as a powerful antioxidant that protects the neurons and cells of the glia, including those of microglia. ”
“Vitamin C is captured as ascorbate through a specific carrier (SVCT2) into microglia cells, which function as the brain’s immune system and are important for its development, maintenance and response to trauma or disease,” he said.
During aging, and in pathology contexts such as Alzheimer’s disease, “vitamin C levels in the brain decrease and cannot be adequately replaced by oral supplementation or intravenously.”
