New Alzheimer's Treatment Clears Plaques from Brains of Mice Within Hours

Summary

Scientists have repaired a natural gateway into the brains of mice, allowing the clumps and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease to be swept away.After just three drug injections, mice with certain genes that mimic Alzheimer's showed a reversal of several key pathological features.Within hours of the first injection, the animal brains showed a nearly 45 percent reduction in clumps of amyloid-beta plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.The mice had previously shown signs of cognitive decline, but after all three doses, the animals performed on par with their healthy peers in spatial learning and memory tasks. The benefits lasted at least six months.Related: Clearing Brain Waste Dramatically Improves Memory in Aging MiceThese preclinical results don't guarantee success in humans, but they're an encouraging start, which the authors say "heralds a new era" in drug research."The therapeutic implications are profound," claim the international team of researchers, co-led by scientists at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the West China Hospital Sichuan University (WCHSU).Amyloid-beta plaques (red) were cleared from the brains of treated mice (left) but not untreated controls (right). Vessels of the blood-brain barrier are shown in green. (IBEC)Their approach to treating Alzheimer's reframes the blood-brain barrier as more than a hurdle to be leapt over, but a gate in need of repair.The blood-brain barrier separates the blood system of the brain from the rest of the body, keeping dangerous toxins and pathogens away from our seat of consciousness. It also keeps out much of our medicine.Related: Breakthrough: Scientists Create 'Universal' Kidney To Match Any Blood TypeFor years now, drug researchers have tried to use nanoscopic packages, called nanoparticles, to smuggle Alzheimer's drugs across the blood-brain barrier. They've also used sound waves (ultrasound) to momentarily open the barrier, to allow drugs to pass.But these approaches treat...