A study published in the journal Cell Reports showed that healthy neurons metabolize glucose. Mr. Ken Nakamura, Associate Investigator at Gladstone, a US-based non-profit research organization, stated that they already knew that the brain requires a lot of glucose, but it had been unclear how much the neurons themselves rely on glucose and what methods they use to break the sugar down.

Previous research has shown that the brain′s absorption of glucose is reduced in the early stages of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer′s and Parkinsons. Scientists have long questioned what happens to glucose in the brain, with many claiming that neurons do not metabolize the sugar.

In the study, the researchers used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to generate pure human neurons. The newly developed neurons revealed that they were capable of taking up glucose and processing it into smaller metabolites.

In addition, the researchers employed CRISPR gene editing to examine how neurons utilized the products of glucose metabolism. They discovered that one of the proteins allowed neurons to import glucose, while the other protein was essential for glycolysis, the primary mechanism through which cells generally metabolize glucose. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1073247 )