A New Approach to Alzheimer’s
For years, the dominant strategy in Alzheimer’s research has been to target amyloid plaques clumps of protein that build up between brain cells. These plaques have long been viewed as the hallmark of the disease and the main reason neurons begin to die. Several approved drugs, like lecanemab and donanemab, focus on clearing amyloid from the brain. But the results have been mixed: some patients show only modest improvement, and many experience side effects like brain swelling or microbleeds.
That’s led researchers to ask a critical question: What if amyloid isn’t the whole story?
Enter a new strategy one that shifts the spotlight away from the plaques themselves and instead focuses on the environment that allows damage to spread. Scientists are now zeroing in on the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a thin layer of cells that acts like a border patrol between the brain and the rest of the body. This barrier controls what gets in and what stays out. And in Alzheimer’s, it starts to leak.
