"I hope that my research can contribute to an increased awareness of the importance of the role of the brain for healthy ageing. If we have a healthy lifestyle, we reduce the disease burden for society. We know that a reduced consumption of sugar and saturated fats improves brain function, so there is a lot to gain on an individual level," says Joao Duarte, researcher in diabetes and brain function at Lund University Diabetes Centre.
He is awarded this year's Medeon stipend of SEK 50,000 for research on complications in the brain in diabetes, which can lead to dementia. He will be awarded the stipend on the World Diabetes Day Skåne event in Malmö on November 14. This year's event focuses on common complications of diabetes and new treatments and solutions that can improve the lives of people affected with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is known to increase the risk of developing dementia. Research has shown that high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to vascular dementia. Diabetes can also affect neurons in the brain, which can lead to impaired memory and learning difficulties.
Supportive cells in the brain
Joao Duarte's research group is investigating how two other cell types in the brain are affected in diabetes. The two types of glial cells Joao Duarte is studying are called astrocytes and microglia. The role of these two cell types is to surround neurons and support them so that they can send and receive and signals within the brain.
"We can see that the neurons are still there in connection with diabetes, but they are not functioning well. A reason to this seems to be that the ability of the astrocytes and microglia to support the neurons is impaired," says Joao Duarte.
In research on rats, Joao Duarte has seen that astrocytes become hyperactive in connection with diabetes and stop providing the right support to the neurons, which leads to memory dysfunction.
Diet and brain function
He is also investigating how an unhealthy diet affects important memory functions. Previous research has shown that a diet rich in fat and sugar induces obesity and diabetes in mice and may impact their memory. Joao Duarte wanted to find out if the impairments were temporary or permanent. In a study on mice, Joao Duarte's research group was able to show that it is possible to reverse a negative development.
Mice that were first given a diet rich in fat and sugar had major metabolic alterations in the hippocampus and cortex, and impaired memory. The study also showed that the brain structure and important memory functions were restored when those mice were assigned to the group who had a diet low in fat. Important memory functions were also restored.
In a recent study, the research group studied the effects of taurine and acetylcysteine on memory. Taurine is found naturally in the body and is produced synthetically as an ingredient in energy drinks. Acetylcysteine is a drug used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. The researchers treated mice, who were exposed to a diet rich in fat, with the two substances and found that they could prevent memory impairment.
In an upcoming study, Joao Duarte is planning to investigate whether a lack of taurine that is found naturally in the body can be linked to an increased incidence of dementia in a population study.
"It is far too early to give recommendations based on our recent findings. We need to do a lot more research to understand how memory functions are affected in diabetes, and whether it is possible to prevent dementia in people with diabetes through a changed diet or new treatments. I hope that our research can contribute to the development of interventions that can improve brain function," says Joao Duarte.