A Path to Restoring Brain Function in Dementia Identified 0 10

Scientists from the University of Vermont have reported a potentially new approach to treating vascular dementia associated with impaired cerebral circulation. In a preclinical study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they demonstrated that a deficiency of one of the phospholipids in cell membranes — PIP₂ — may underlie vascular disturbances in the brain.

The authors focused on the Piezo1 protein, which is located in vascular wall cells and responds to mechanical blood pressure. It was found that PIP₂ normally suppresses the activity of Piezo1, and when its levels decrease, the channel becomes hyperactive, disrupting the regulation of cerebral blood flow — a condition characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

In experiments, the addition of PIP₂ restored normal Piezo1 function and improved brain blood supply. According to the researchers, this indicates a fundamentally new therapeutic strategy — not targeting neurons directly, but correcting the vascular mechanisms that support cognitive functions.

The scientists emphasize that the work is still in the preclinical stage; however, it paves the way for the development of drugs aimed at restoring the balance of phospholipids and normalizing cerebral blood flow in dementia and other neurovascular diseases.