NEW YORK: Clusters of immune cells in the brain, previously thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s actually protect against the disease, new evidence suggests.
They do so by containing the spread of damaging amyloid plaques, Yale University scientists discovered.
Their findings suggest a different approach is needed to tackling the most common form of dementia.
Past studies have pointed to the inflammation byproducts from these immune cells as a major culprit in the development of Alzheimer’s.
A specific type of immune cell, called microglia (green) can help contain amyloid plaques (magenta), the key hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, thus limiting their damage to surrounding brain cells.
But, Dr Jaime Grutzendler, associate professor of neurology and neuroscience at Yale, said that is no longer thought to be the case.