Gene Therapy Preserves Memory in Alzheimer’s Mouse Model

May 06, 2021 - A team from University of California San Diego School of Medicine has leveraged gene therapy to preserve learning and memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s, indicating that the approach could someday be tested in humans with the condition.

In a study published in Molecular Therapy – Methods & Clinical Development, researchers noted that Alzheimer’s is characterized by the accumulation of clumps of misfolded proteins called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles. Both of these biomarkers impair cell signaling and promote neuronal death.

Current Alzheimer’s treatments targeting plaques and tangles address only symptoms, which the team stated suggests a reversal and cure of Alzheimer’s will likely require a combination of interventional approaches that both decrease aggregating toxins and promote neuronal and synaptic plasticity.