Study leader Professor Adrian Isaacs, from the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: “Epidemiological studies suggest that people with a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids have a lower risk of developing motor neuron disease.
Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “With nearly one million people living with dementia in the UK, there is an urgent need to understand and treat the diseases that cause this condition, including rarer forms.
A study led by the UK Dementia Research Institute and the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing found the fats – which are found in oily fish, nuts and seeds – affect the conditions and may boost survival.
The team found that, at the start of the study, levels of poly-unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 fatty acids, were significantly reduced in the MND/FTD flies.
In the new research, experts increased the levels of healthy fats in the brain cells of fruit flies carrying a genetic mutation called C9orf72, while also examining human brain cells.
