CRISPR Gene Editing May Not Be so Precise After All
Researchers found large deletions, inversions, or insertions in about one-fifth of edited cells, suggesting caution for therapeutic uses of the technology.
NEWS
VCAM1: Gateway to the Aging Brain?
Blood from an old mouse ages the brain of a young one, but how? Researchers report that VCAM1 on brain endothelial cells facilitates the process.
Synaptic Tau Clangs the Dinner Bell for Hungry Microglia
At Keystone, researchers placed pathological tau on both sides of the synaptic cleft, along with complement proteins. Activated microglia gobbled up tau-laden neurons, and even may have facilitated tau’s spread in the brain.
ApoE Has Hand in Alzheimer’s Beyond Aβ, Beyond the Brain
At a Keystone meeting, researchers agreed that ApoE stokes damaging neuroinflammation in response to tau pathology. The E4 allele ramped up cholesterol biosynthesis in microglia and astrocytes, and even promoted neuronal damage when expressed outside of the brain.
TREM2: Diehard Microglial Supporter, Consequences Be DAMed
At Keystone, the work of several groups painted TREM2 as a dedicated supporter of microglial function across neurodegenerative disease models.
A Delicate Frontier: Human Microglia Focus of Attention at Keystone
Working with human microglia is fraught with technical challenges, but that didn’t stop researchers at Keystone from sharing a flurry of data on how these cells act in neurodegenerative disease.
Nano-size Quantum Dots Bust Up Synuclein Pathology
Tiny yet mighty, small carbon structures glom onto and dissolve α-synuclein fibrils, neutralizing their toxicity in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease.
A Minority of Human Aβ Species are Toxic, Good Drug Targets
Better tissue extraction and Aβ assays could help identify the most toxic Aβ species and most promising immunotherapies.
Virtual Exhibit Hall
Alzforum has just launched a Virtual Exhibit Hall, a place for companies to showcase their initatives, products, and services. We welcome our exhibitors - Biogen, BioLegend, Nanostring Technologies, Inc., and The Jackson Laboratory and encourage our readers to explore their virtual booths here.
SPOTLIGHT
VCAM1: Ushering Agents of Brain Aging?
Disturbing results from years past claimed that mysterious factors in the plasma of aging mice accelerated brain aging in youngsters. At Keystone, researchers blamed VCAM1 receptors expressed on the luminal side of brain endothelial cells for letting those agents of aging wreak their havoc inside the brain. Blocking the receptor prevented age-related microglial activation and waning neurogenesis. Clinically, researchers started a Phase 2 trial, treating AD patients with a plasma fraction derived from young donors.
Keystone: The CNS and Periphery Meet at 10,000 Feet
More than 700 participants hailing from 35 countries gathered at Keystone, Colorado, June 17–21 a joint Keystone symposium: Advances in Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Therapy, and New Frontiers in Neuroinflammation: What Happens When CNS and Periphery Meet? Researchers presented fresh findings on how microglial meddling steers neurodegeneration, on tau’s latest antics, on ApoE’s actions independent of Aβ, and how aging transmits from the blood into the brain. Participants jumped back and forth between the two sessions, while packed poster sessions capped off each data-filled day with intense discussions. Check out Alzforum’s coverage of the highlights.
Can Carbon Nano-nets Rescue Proteinopathies?
A new study reports that nano-size carbon lattices freely enter the brain and protect against α-synuclein pathology, with little apparent toxicity. These graphene quantum dots disrupt existing synuclein fibrils and prevent new ones. They also appear to work on amyloid-β fibrils.
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