Scientists Remove Alzheimer's Brain Plaques in Mice

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found administering anti-APOE injections into mice genetically engineered to host human APOE cut the amount of amyloid plaque buildup by up to half, reports HealthDay News . Over six weeks, different mice were exposed to different once-weekly injections, while others were given placebos. The antibody injections activated each mouse's immune system to varying degrees, causing it to destroy the human APOE. Subsequently, when the researchers measured brain plaque post-therapy, they observed significantly reduced overall amyloid buildup, with plaque levels declining by 50 percent following one particular antibody therapy. "The treatment we developed would need to be turned into a molecule that is safe to give to humans, and then be tested in humans," says David Holtzman with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.