Scientists found a way to restore brain blood flow in dementia

Scientists found a way to restore brain blood flow in dementia Replacing a missing brain molecule restored blood flow in new research, pointing to a promising new approach for treating dementia. Date: December 25, 2025 Source: University of Vermont Summary: A new study suggests that dementia may be driven in part by faulty blood flow in the brain. Researchers found that losing a key lipid causes blood vessels to become overactive, disrupting circulation and starving brain tissue. When the missing molecule was restored, normal blood flow returned. This discovery opens the door to new treatments aimed at fixing vascular problems in dementia. Share: A potential new way to treat reduced brain blood flow and certain forms of dementia is beginning to emerge. Scientists at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine have uncovered new details about how blood circulation in the brain is controlled and how vascular problems might be reversed. Their preclinical research, published December 22 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , suggests that replacing a missing phospholipid in the bloodstream could help restore normal brain blood flow and ease dementia-related symptoms. "This discovery is a huge step forward in our efforts to prevent dementia and neurovascular diseases," says principal investigator Osama Harraz, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology at Larner College of Medicine. "We are uncovering the complex mechanisms of these devastating conditions, and now we can begin to think about how to translate this biology into therapies." The Rising Burden of Dementia Alzheimer's disease and related dementias affect about 50 million people worldwide, and that number continues to grow. The increasing prevalence places heavy pressure on families, caregivers, and health care systems. Ongoing research is working to untangle how proteins, inflammation, neural signaling, and malfunctioning brain cells contribute to these disorders. Work in the Harraz lab centers on how cerebral blood flow is controlled and how blood vessels communicate through molecular signals. A major focus is Piezo1, a protein found in the membranes of cells that line blood vessels. Piezo1 helps regulate brain blood flow by sensing physical forces created as blood moves through the brain's vascular network. Its name comes from the Greek word for "pressure." Earlier research showed that Piezo1 behaves differently in people who carry certain genetic variations of the Piezo1 gene. A Key Lipid That Keeps Blood Vessels in Check The new study, titled "PIP 2 Corrects an Endothelial Piezo1 Channelopathy," offers fresh insight into how Piezo1 influences cerebral blood flow. The findings also show that conditions such as Alzheimer's disease are linked to abnormally high Piezo1 activity in brain blood vessels. To better understand why this happens, the research team examined a phospholipid called PIP 2 , which is found in brain cell membranes. PIP 2 plays an essential role in cell signaling and ion channel regulation -- a complex process that controls when protein pores in cells open and close. The researchers discovered that PIP 2 normally acts as a natural suppressor of Piezo1. When PIP...

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