A Defense Against Alzheimer's Disease
9 days ago
- #Alzheimer's Disease
- #Neuroscience
- #Genetic Mutation
- A personal story from China inspired Rutgers neuroscientist Peng Jiang to research Alzheimer's disease with renewed urgency.
- Jiang and colleague Mengmeng Jin discovered a rare gene mutation (CSF2RB A455D) that protects brain immune cells (microglia) from Alzheimer's-related damage.
- The mutation helps microglia stay young, avoid inflammation, and better clean harmful proteins, potentially offering new therapeutic strategies.
- The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests strengthening the brain's defense system as a new approach to Alzheimer's treatment.
- Research involved creating human microglia with the mutation and testing them in a chimeric mouse brain model exposed to Alzheimer's proteins.
- Potential treatments include transplanting engineered microglia or using gene therapy to introduce the protective mutation into existing cells.