Scientists reverse damage of Alzheimer’s disease in human brain cells
The team, which was led by Dr Yadong Huang, discovered how to erase the damage caused by apoE4 in human brain cells through changing it into an innocuous form. The team used a small molecule to change the apoE4 protein into a harmless apoE3 version, thus erasing the damage caused to brain cells. While apoE4 does not affect the production of amyloid beta – the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients – in mouse models, it does cause a notable increase of the protein’s production in human cells.