Herpes Update—Virus Increases Dementia Risk in Sweden
Epidemiology study reveals 1.5-times higher risk of dementia after herpes virus infection. Short-term antiviral treatment appears to lower risk.
NEWS
ALZgerm Challenge–No Winner, But Small Prizes to 8 Scientists
Researchers split $200,000 for their theories on the role of six microbes—one virus, four bacteria, and one parasite—in Alzheimer’s.
Would ApoE Make a Better Therapeutic Target Than Aβ?
In mice, an anti-ApoE antibody removed plaques from the brain’s parenchyma and blood vessels better than aducanumab. Importantly, it caused no microhemorrhages.
Alzheimer’s Field Loses Fred van Leeuwen, 71
Van Leeuwen was best known for finding frameshift mutations in APP and ubiquitin B in the brains of people with tauopathies.
Massive GWAS Meta-Analysis Digs Up Trove of Alzheimer’s Genes
Researchers unearthed 75 risk loci, 42 of them new, and nominated candidate genes for each. A polygenic risk score based on all variants predicted AD risk with high accuracy.
TWAS x GWAS? Transcriptome Analysis Finds 11 Parkinson’s Genes
Transcriptomic and epigenomic data pin PD risk genes in GWAS loci; six affect splicing, five expression, four are new.
Earliest of Them All: Blood P-Tau231 Assay Flags Pre-Amyloid Alzheimer’s
The first ultrasensitive plasma test for this old marker differentiates Alzheimer’s from healthy controls and non-AD dementias. It segregates people stepwise at phases of pathogenesis down to Braak stages 1 and 2 and below amyloid PET positivity.
In Triculture Model, Astrocyte-Microglia Cross Talk Spurs Inflammation
When cultured with human neurons expressing a familial Alzheimer’s gene, both microglia and astrocytes were necessary to spike complement C3 and send inflammation into overdrive.
Virtual Exhibit Hall
Alzforum encourages users to visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall, where companies showcase their newest initiatives, products, and services. We welcome F. Hoffmann-La Roche, joining our other exhibitors — Biogen, BioLegend, Abcam, BrainXell, and the Jackson Laboratory.
SPOTLIGHT
AD/PD 2021 – All Online One More Time
Due to—you guessed it—a certain virus, the International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases will have to unfold virtually once more, until more of the world is vaccinated. The 15th installment of this six-day long annual meeting will start on March 9. It costs between €300 and €500; for that, three pre-conferences are included, and recorded presentations will stay accessible for three months after the meeting ends on the 14th. Added bonus: no jet lag, no mask, no more “Can’t believe I missed that talk! I was in a different session.” This time, you can see and hear it all. Register here.
Would ApoE Make a Better Therapeutic Target Than A?
Antibodies such as aducanumab clear amyloid plaque from the brain, but they also cause tiny tears in cerebral blood vessels that cause ARIA. Is there a safer way? In mice, antibodies directed against ApoE, a component of dense-core plaques, mopped up deposits in brain and blood vessels more effectively than did aducanumab. Importantly, this therapy caused no microhemorrhages. The data hint that antibodies targeting ApoE could be safer for long-term therapy.
Massive GWAS Meta-Analysis Digs Up Trove of Alzheimer’s Genes
Want more Alzheimer’s genes? A new GWAS meta-analysis has you covered, turning up 42 new loci linked to the disease. Leading candidate genes participate in amyloid and tau metabolism, endocytosis, and immunity, highlighting the importance of these processes in disease pathogenesis. Piled into a polygenic risk score, they predict risk of dementia in healthy controls with 84 percent accuracy. A second study maps DNA to identify functional genes at many AD loci. Get the lowdown in Madolyn Rogers’ story.
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