For the past few years, scientists on the Nun Study research team have been investigating a protein in the brain called TMEM106B which sometimes forms tiny thread-like clumps, called fibrils, inside brain cells. These fibrils, found especially in older adults and people with Alzheimer’s disease or memory problems, may interfere with how brain cells stay healthy and communicate with one another.
In their first study on the protein, members of the Nun Study team examined where these fibrils form in the brain and how they relate to other changes seen in dementia. Now, they are continuing their work using brain tissue from the hundreds of School Sisters of Notre Dame who have contributed to the study by donating their brains at the time of their deaths. This next phase of research will help scientists learn which specific kinds of brain cells are most affected by TMEM106B by studying cells such as microglia, which act like the brain’s “clean-up crew,” and astrocytes, which help protect and support nerve cells. The researchers hope this will allow them to better understand how and why memory loss develops—and how it might one day be slowed or even prevented.
“The generosity of the sisters who have participated in the Nun Study makes this research possible,” said Dr. Margaret Flanagan, who directs the Nun Study. “Their lifelong commitment to learning and service continues to help scientists around the world uncover new clues about how to keep the brain healthy as we age.”