Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have made a significant breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease research by identifying a novel way to potentially slow down or even halt disease progression. The study, which focuses on the role of reactive astrocytes and the plexin-B1 protein in Alzheimer's pathophysiology, provides crucial insights into brain cell communication and opens the door to innovative treatment strategies. It was published in Nature Neuroscience (DOI 10.
1038/s41593-024-01664-w) on May 27. This groundbreaking work is centered on the manipulation of the plexin-B1 protein to enhance the brain's ability to clear amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Reactive astrocytes, a type of brain cell that becomes activated in response to injury or disease, were found to play a crucial role in this process.
They help control the spacing around amyloid plaques, affecting how other brain cells can access and clear these harmful deposits. Our findings offer a promising path for developing new treatments by improving how cells interact with these harmful plaques." Roland Friedel, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and Neurosurgery, at Icahn Mount Sinai and senior author of the study The research was driven by the analysis of complex data comparing healthy individuals to those with Alzheimer's, aiming to understand the disease's molecular and cellular foundations.
Hongyan Zou, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, and Neuroscience, at Icahn Mount S.
