A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass Eye and Ear, under Mass General Brigham, reported promising results of an innovative antibody therapy targeting Alzheimer's disease (AD). The therapy mimics a particular genetic variant, identified as resistant to AD, in the APOE gene. This action reduces the elevated tau proteins associated with the disease, according to a Mass General Brigham press release.
The team had previously identified a genetic variant called APOE Christchurch as offering strong resistance to Alzheimer's disease. Providing protection against cognitive decline for nearly three decades, this variant was found in a Colombian woman in her 70s with a high genetic risk for early-onset Alzheimer's. The researchers have continued to develop this variant in therapy targeting interactions with ApoE proteins and proteins called heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
Through computerized modeling and the crystal structure of the antibodies, the research team anticipated an antibody would be able bind to the target of interest successfully. The team discovered that the 7C11 antibody inhibits the pathological interaction that leads to Alzheimer's resistance. The antibody treatments tested in mice resulted in a significant reduction of abnormal tau proteins in their brains and retinas, stating in The Boston Herald.
"Our 7C11 antibody was able to target interactions responsible for a major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's," said Joseph F. Arboleda-Velasquez, MD, PhD, associate scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear, and study co-corresponding author.
The researchers acknowledge, though, that their study has certain limitations, among which include a relatively short treatment period and pertain to an early stage of the disease. Therefore, the researchers recognize the need to perform future studies in additional animal models to confirm, their therapy's preclinical efficacy.
Also, the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University was recently awarded a $13.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for studying the genetics of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers, under the guidance of Lindsay Farrer, chief of biomedical genetics and distinguished professor of genetics, aim to identify new drug development targets to hinder Alzheimer's progression. This team is conducting whole-genome sequencing to identify genetic factors for Alzheimer's among Jews and Arab citizens living in Israel, as another Boston Herald article reports.
The encouraging results of the 7C11 antibody therapy, along with the genetics study at Boston University, contribute to the growing body of knowledge on disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease. These studies represent the scientific community's ongoing mission to effectively combat Alzheimer's and its debilitating effects on millions of individuals globally.
