Alzheimer’s disease remains a major health challenge in the United States, with deaths from the illness increasing by about 145% between 2000 and 2019, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This trend stands in contrast to declining death rates for other leading causes such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and HIV. Experts attribute part of this rise to improved diagnosis and an aging population but also highlight ongoing difficulties in understanding and treating the complex condition.
At Arizona State University’s ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center (NDRC), researchers are exploring multiple aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Their work is uncovering new links between environmental factors, nutrition, and neurodegeneration.
“The NDRC is incredibly excited by the advances we’ve made in the area of Alzheimer’s disease, especially on preclinical models,” said Jeff Kordower, director of the NDRC and professor at ASU’s School of Life Sciences. “In the future, we’re looking forward to expanding our interests to include other diseases of cognition, such as frontotemporal dementia and Lewy body disease, and this will be a major effort for the NDRC in coming years.”
Recent studies at ASU have found that choline—a nutrient present in many foods—may play a role in protecting against Alzheimer’s. Lower levels of choline were associated with more amyloid plaques and tau tangles in brain tissue samples from people across different stages of cognitive decline. These findings suggest that increasing dietary choline could potentially reduce risk or slow progression of Alzheimer’s.
Researchers are also investigating environmental risks such as glyphosate exposure. Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide; new evidence indicates even short-term exposure can cause changes in brain tissue that may persist long after contact ends. “Given the increasing incidence of cognitive decline in the aging population, particularly in rural communities where exposure to glyphosate is more common due to large-scale farming, there is an urgent need for more basic research on the effects of this herbicide,” said lead researcher Ramon Velazquez.
Another line of inquiry focuses on gut health. Associate Research Professor Ben Readhead explained: “We think we found a biologically unique subtype of Alzheimer’s that may affect 25% to 45% of people with this disease.” The study points toward cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a common virus often carried without symptoms but which may remain active in some individuals’ guts before affecting their brains through neural pathways.
ASU has received funding from the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium for collaborative research into whether microplastics contribute to neurodegeneration. This project involves analyzing brain and spinal fluid samples alongside socioeconomic data to assess how social factors might influence susceptibility.
A broader investigation led by Assistant Research Professor Carol Huseby found overlapping cellular malfunctions among several neurodegenerative diseases—including Parkinson’s, ALS, Huntington’s disease—and identified both shared mechanisms and unique molecular fingerprints for each disorder. “It appears that multiple neurodegenerative diseases harbor similar fundamental dysfunctional cellular processes,” Huseby said. “Differences between diseases may be key to discovering regional cell-type vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets for each disease.”
Research Professor Paul Coleman leads efforts tying together these various strands into one model: “Studying these early manifestations of Alzheimer’s could pave the way for innovative approaches to diagnosis, treatment and prevention, addressing the disease at its roots,” Coleman said.
Arizona State University continues advancing research initiatives across disciplines; it was named number one for innovation eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report based on nominations from academic leaders nationwide (https://news.asu.edu/20220911-university-news-asu-no-1-innovation-us-news-world-report-eighth-year?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=asu&utm_campaign=ASURankings&utm_term=USNWR).
The university also partners with local organizations like Argos Vision—a tech startup developing smart traffic cameras—to improve public safety through technology pilots (https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/street-transportation/2420).
These diverse projects reflect ASU’s commitment to scientific discovery aimed at improving public health outcomes.
