Scientists Say a Key Trigger for Alzheimer's Damage Isn't Even in the Brain
A study from the Washington University School of Medicine suggests that Alzheimer's disease may be triggered by immune cells outside the brain rather than just within it. This systemic perspective could shift the focus of future treatments away from solely targeting amyloid plaques.
Why it matters
It challenges the long-standing amyloid-beta hypothesis and suggests that systemic immune responses are critical to understanding and treating dementia.
Despite being the most common form of dementia, there is still so much scientists don’t understand about Alzheimer’s disease. Research out today might provide a vital clue to unraveling its origins.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine studied mice modeled to have Alzheimer’s-like illness. They found evidence that certain immune cells linked to Alzheimer’s are actually goaded on by other cells outside the brain. The discovery could very well help us find more effective treatments that can short-circuit this process, the researchers say.
“This means that we not only have to look at Alzheimer’s in the brain, we have to look outside as well; that we should be looking at this more systemically,” lead author Hao Hu, a postdoctoral fellow at WashU Medicine, told Gizmodo. “This is a disease that affects the brain, but the whole body is actually getting involved.”
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