Discussing Alzheimer’s disease means referring to a highly complex process in which chronic neuroinflammation helps to accelerate cell death through apoptosis and progressive cognitive decline.
In this context, increasing evidence is emerging on the role of ALIAmides, endogenous bioactive molecules known for their immunomodulatory and neuroprotective properties. Among them, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is attracting particular attention.
A recent study, published in Frontiers in Immunology by researchers from the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome, investigated its/PEA mechanism of action on human immune cells.
The in vitro study showed that Palmitoylethanolamide can improve the functionality of dendritic cells, key players in the regulation of immune responses, even at the brain level. In conditions associated with Alzheimer’s disease, these cells display an altered profile that contributes to neuroinflammatory processes and apoptosis.
The central focus is precisely immunomodulation: supporting proper activity of the central nervous system’s immune cells means operating on the causes of the apoptotic cascade and progressive neuronal loss. This represents not merely a symptoms management, but a potential action on a key regulatory node in the pathophysiology of the disease.
* Piccolino I, Iannuzzi F, Lionetti L, Mazzonello B, Barreca V, Banaj N, Arezzini V, Piras F and Bossù P (2026) The immunomodulating effect of palmitoylethanolamide on human myeloid dendritic cells and its possible impact on Alzheimer’s disease. Front. Immunol. 16:1664164. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1664164
