Alzheimer's, Atherosclerosis, and Aggregates: A Role for Bacterial Degradation

Several of the most prevalent and severe age‐related diseases, notably Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis, feature the accumulation of non‐degradable aggregates within the lysosomes of disease‐affected cells. At an early point in disease progression, the breakdown of lysosomal contents by the resident cat‐abolic enzymes stops working properly. A return of lysosomal enzymatic activity to pre‐disease levels may restore aggregate elimination. In this review, a method of bioremediation‐derived lysosomal enzyme enhancement is proposed, featuring the cellular introduction of microbial‐isolated enzymes, or xenoen‐zymes. The benefits and challenges of using xenoen‐zymes to break down aggregates are discussed. As the size of our elderly population grows, the incidence of age‐related diseases will increase, necessitating the exploration of radical, but potentially powerful, therapeutic strategies.