Indiana University has discovered the ability of caffeine and other compounds to protect against dementia. The mechanism involves boosting of enzyme known as NMNAT2 and was discovered at IU Bloomington.
According to Science Daily, NMNAT2 plays several roles in the brain; "chaperone function" to fight misfolded proteins and protective function to guard neurons from stress. Misfolded proteins have been linked to different neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and many more. These findings could advance in the treatment of dementia.
The authors of the study revealed that this discovery could help in the advancement of drugs that could increase levels of NMNAT2 in the brain. The increased amount of the said enzyme would likely lessen the signs and symptoms of dementia. The study was pioneered by Hui-Chen Lu, a professor in the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science.
Lu's team screened over 1,280 compounds in order to identify the production of NMNAT2 in the brain decreasing the incidence of dementia. A total of 24 compounds were identified having the potential in boosting the said enzyme in the brain. One of these compounds was caffeine; it has shown to improve memory function in mice. Mice's misfolded proteins have a decreased NMNAT2.
As reported Health Line, the recommended amount of caffeine is usually 400mg daily for adults. Caffeine is technically considered as a drug and is contained in some of the most popular beverages such as; coffee, tea, and soda. Caffeine overdose is possible however; some unpleasant symptoms would fade once the substance is excreted from the body.
In order to assess the effect of caffeine, IU researchers administered caffeine to mice designed to produce lower levels of NMNAT2. As a result, the modified mice began to produce the same levels of enzyme compared to healthy mice.
An anti-depressant drug known as rolipram was also found to strongly boost NMNAT2 production in the brain. The drug was discontinued in the mid-1990s and was found to reduce the tangled impact of tangled proteins in the brain. Other compounds aside from caffeine and rolipram that was discovered includes; ziprasidone, cantharidin, wortmannin, and retinoic acid.
