Grant: Project Grant

Neurodegenerative diseases are a relatively broad class of neurological disorders, however, recent evidence suggests that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), commonly found in fish, may be of benefit in preventing or treating these diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease. One common link between neurodegenerative disorders is that they have a neuroinflammatory component. It is well established that n-3 PUFA are anti-inflammatory in the periphery, but whether or not they are also anti-inflammatory within the brain is unknown. It is thought that one way omega-3 might be beneficial in the brain is by interfering with omega-6 fatty acid metabolism. We have developed diets that can lower or increase omega-6s. By combining these approaches we will be able figure out if it is the omega-3s, the omega-6s or both. This is very important as, currently, diets are very high in omega-6 fatty acids and, thus, there is a lot of room to decrease them. The objective of the current proposal is to test if n-3 PUFA are anti-inflammatory within the mouse brain and to evaluate the mechanisms by which they accomplish this. We have established a mouse model of neuroinflammation to test this hypothesis and our preliminary results strongly suggest that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is protective against neuroinflammation. Having a better understanding whether increasing omega-3 fatty acids and or decreasing omega-6 fatty acids can protect us from the neuroinflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease could lead to new therapies for prevention.