Original story: UT Health San Antonio Newsroom
By Claire Kowalick
SAN ANTONIO (May 21, 2026)
For decades, Alzheimer’s disease research has focused almost exclusively on harmful proteins in the brain. But scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio are taking a new approach to how the disease is understood and treated.
A recent study published in Nature Communications shows that certain lipids, fats that make up more than half of the brain, may play a bigger role in Alzheimer’s disease than previously thought.
Scientists from the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies found that loss of sulfatide, a specific type of lipid, may not only signal early Alzheimer’s disease, but also help drive it. The study reveals how sulfatide loss disrupts the brain and affects other parts of the body.
A new way of looking at Alzheimer’s
“This research helps answer the long-standing question of how inflammation and lipid changes are connected in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sijia He, PhD, assistant in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology.
Working alongside Xianlin Han, PhD, professor in the Department of Medicine, and other UT San Antonio scientists, the team built on decades of work studying lipid biology. While most Alzheimer’s studies focus on amyloid and tau proteins, the research team found that lipid imbalance by itself can trigger damaging changes in the brain.
Story continues:
Study reveals hidden role of brain fats in Alzheimer’s disease