Mitochondrial Double-Stranded RNA Accumulation In Brain Aging And Alzheimer’S Disease

A recent study found that double-stranded RNA from mitochondria builds up in the brain as people age and is even more prevalent in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting it may contribute to chronic inflammation and nerve cell damage.

Our bodies’ cells contain tiny powerhouses called mitochondria, which are crucial for energy production. Recent research has shed light on a fascinating connection between these cellular powerhouses, inflammation, and brain conditions like aging and Alzheimer’s disease. It turns out that a specific type of genetic material, called mitochondrial double-stranded RNA (mt-dsRNA), which is essentially a two-stranded copy of genetic instructions from the mitochondria, can accumulate in the brain. This accumulation appears to increase as we get older and is even more pronounced in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s.

This buildup of mt-dsRNA seems to trigger an inflammatory response, similar to how our bodies react to a viral infection. Normally, our cells have mechanisms to process and manage mitochondrial RNA, but in aging and Alzheimer’s, these processes appear to be disrupted. When mt-dsRNA accumulates, it can escape the mitochondria and activate the cell’s antiviral defenses, leading to chronic inflammation. This inflammation is believed to contribute to the damage and degeneration of brain cells seen in these conditions. The findings suggest that maintaining the proper balance of mitochondrial RNA is vital for brain health and could be a new area to explore for understanding and potentially treating age-related brain decline and Alzheimer’s.

---

Source: link to paper