An innovative treatment that targets the accumulation of harmful proteins has shown promising results in improving brain function in aged mice.
Researchers have developed a nasal spray that could become a breakthrough treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other potentially neurodegenerative diseases.
The new treatment will target harmful protein buildup in the brain.
The spray works by targeting the accumulation of tau proteins, which in a healthy brain keep the cell’s internal support structure stable and help transport molecules and nutrients into nerve cells.
In neurodegenerative disorders, chemical changes in the brain cause tau proteins to break down and clump together, resulting in what are called neurofibrillary tangles.
These entanglements disrupt the normal functioning of brain cells, leading to their death and, as a result, cognitive decline.
The American and Italian team behind the innovative spray tested it on older mice and found improvements in cognitive function.
Their results were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
“This nasal spray approach opens new avenues for the non-invasive delivery of therapeutic tau antibodies directly to the brain, which holds promise for many neurodegenerative diseases,” said lead study author and University of Texas professor Dr. Rakesh Kayed. Department of Medicine (UTMB), in a statement.
Improve cognitive function
The team developed an antibody, TTCM2, designed to specifically identify and target toxic tau aggregates.
The antibody was then optimized to improve its delivery to the brain by being packaged into particles and delivered into the nasal cavity, thus bypassing the blood-brain barrier, a major barrier to targeting entangles.
“Our study highlights the potential of nasal tau immunotherapy to effectively target tau intracellular aggregates, a leading driver of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Kayed said.
“This method not only improves the delivery of therapeutic antibodies, but also increases their effectiveness in eliminating tau aggregates and improving cognitive function,” he said.
An important part of this approach is the use of TRIM21, a protein found inside cells. TRIM21 acts as a receptor for antibodies that help mark unwanted materials for elimination.
Normally, TRIM21 helps the body get rid of viruses. In this study, researchers used TRIM21 to remove harmful tau protein clumps from brain cells. When clumps of tau protein bind to therapeutic antibodies, TRIM21 recognizes them and helps remove them.
Using TRIM21, the researchers were able to more effectively target and eliminate tau accumulations, which led to improved cognitive function in the mice used in the study.
“This breakthrough could significantly impact treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies and offer new hope to the millions of patients suffering from these debilitating diseases,” said Sagar Gaikwad, one of the study’s authors.