New research from WashU Medicine suggests that a key driver of Alzheimer’s-like brain damage may originate outside the brain. In a mouse study, researchers found that immune cells called T cells, which have been linked to neurodegeneration, receive signals from lymph nodes in the body before traveling to the brain and contributing to damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.
By blocking these immune signals in the lymph nodes, the researchers were able to significantly reduce brain damage in mice, even though the buildup of tau protein remained unchanged. The treated mice also maintained their cognitive abilities, suggesting that targeting the immune response could help slow or reduce cognitive decline.
The findings reveal a previously unrecognized connection between the body’s immune system and neurodegenerative disease, opening up potential new treatment approaches that may not require therapies to directly enter the brain. Researchers believe this pathway could offer new opportunities to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other tau-related disorders.
Learn more about the study and its implications for future dementia therapies.
