New Research Reveals That Alzheimer’s Plaques Are Not Just a Neuronal Problem Anymore

Harmful proteins are also produced by glial cells.
Memory loss, confusion, and speech difficulties are hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, which currently affects around 35 million people globally, with numbers on the rise. Central to the disease is the naturally occurring brain protein, amyloid beta, which accumulates into insoluble clumps in affected individuals. These clumps form plaques between neurons, leading to neuronal damage.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have now shown that, in addition to neurons, special glial cells in the brain also produce amyloid beta. This finding could open up new avenues for future therapies.