Scientists found a surprising driver of Alzheimer’s outside the brain

Scientists found that immune cells contributing to Alzheimer’s-related brain damage may be activated in lymph nodes outside the brain before traveling into the nervous system. Blocking this pathway in mice dramatically reduced neurodegeneration and preserved cognitive abilities, pointing to a potentially more accessible treatment target. Scientists found a surprising driver of Alzheimer’s outside the brain.

Scientists found a surprising driver of Alzheimer’s outside the brain Science News from research organizations Scientists found a surprising driver of Alzheimer’s outside the brain A surprising immune pathway outside the brain may help drive Alzheimer’s-related damage, and blocking it dramatically protected mice from neurodegeneration. Evidence suggests these cells contribute to neurodegeneration, but researchers have not known where they originate or what prompts them to gather in the brain. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Louis points to an unexpected source outside the brain. In experiments with mice, researchers found that T cells receive signals from lymph nodes that appear to prepare them to enter the brain and contribute to damage. When the scientists disrupted those signals, neurodegeneration was dramatically reduced.

The findings reveal a previously unrecognized immune pathway that may offer a way to slow or potentially halt damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease and primary tauopathies.