What is it about?
Most Alzheimer's patients suffer from some type of vascular disorder. The new Alzheimer's therapy, lecanemab, may help patients by clearing persistent blood clots and occlusions in the vessels of the brain. Opening up blood vessels for better blood flow to the brain may decrease toxic effects to cells and hence inhibit degeneration. This work suggests that some of lecanemab’s protective effects in the brain of Alzheimer's patients may be a result of its effects on blood vessels.
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Why is it important?
The full mechanism behind lecanemab's beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease was not fully understood. This study suggests that lecanemab immunotherapy may promote dissociation of persistent, occlusive clots in the blood vessels of the brain, allowing for better blood flow and less synaptotoxicity.
Perspectives
Alzheimer's immunotherapy lecanemab may benefit patients by blocking the formation of or promoting the dissolution of beta-amyloid-laden persistent clots in blood vessels. This study further exemplifies the importance of the role of the vasculature in this devastating disease.
Erin Norris
Rockefeller University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Lecanemab blocks the effects of the Aβ/fibrinogen complex on blood clots and synapse toxicity in organotypic culture, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 2024, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314450121.
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