Study Challenges Long-Held Belief: Blood-Brain Barrier Intact in Alzheimer's Disease
A groundbreaking study published in Fluids and Barriers of the CNS challenges the long-held belief that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised in Alzheimer's disease. Conducted by a team from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the research suggests that the BBB remains largely intact in a widely used mouse model of the disease.
The study, using Tg2576 mice, a well-established Alzheimer's model that develops amyloid plaques, injected mice with [13C12]sucrose, a molecule that typically has difficulty crossing the BBB. Using highly sensitive analytical tools and advanced tissue-sampling methods, the team tracked the sucrose's movement. Contrary to expectations, no significant leakage was detected, even in brain regions near amyloid plaques.
The findings, published by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center team, contradict the assumption of widespread BBB leakiness in Alzheimer's disease. This challenges the common belief that Alzheimer's weakens the BBB, which has implications for drug delivery strategies. The team's use of advanced analysis and tracer molecules provides robust evidence for an intact BBB in both Alzheimer's and healthy control mice.
This study could reshape therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the need for models that more closely reflect human physiology. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center team's findings, published in Fluids and Barriers of the CNS, underscore the importance of continued research into the BBB's role in Alzheimer's disease and its potential impact on drug delivery.
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