New Tool for Studying Alzheimer’s Disease

Scientists in Dresden, Germany, have been successful in mimicking mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease in a novel, stem cell-based model system that reproduces features of human brain tissue. This experimental tool can be used to study mechanisms of pathology and help to find new therapeutic approaches, the researchers say. Their results, published in DevelopmentalCell, indicate that modulating the immune system can trigger neuronal repair processes and thus possibly help the brain to better cope with Alzheimer's.

The study involved the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), the Centre for Regenerative Therapies Dresden at the TU Dresden (CRTD) and further institutions from Germany and abroad.

By using the new disease model, the researchers discovered an approach to instruct stem cells to produce neurons and kick-start repair processes, i.e. 'neuronal regeneration'.

"Neural stem cells are the progenitors of neurons. They occur naturally in the brain and as such they constitute a reservoir for new neurons. However, in Alzheimer's neural stem cells lose this ability and therefore cannot replace neurons lost due to the disease," explains Dr. Caghan Kizil, head of the current study and research group leader at the DZNE and the CRTD.

"Our results suggest that modulating the immune system can unlock the potential of neural stem cells to build new neurons. These new cells foster regeneration and could possibly help the brain to better cope with the disease. This points to a potential approach to therapy, which we intend to further explore. If it will work out in humans, we cannot say at this stage. At present, this is still fundamental research."


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