Alzheimer's Breakthrough May Come From Bone Marrow Experiment With Mice

A study published in Communications Biology found 18-month-old mice that received a bone marrow transplant from four-month-old mice exhibited higher cognitive ability than mice of the same age that did not get transplants, reports United Press International . "While prior studies have shown that introducing blood from young mice can reverse cognitive decline in old mice, it is not well understood how this happens," said Cedars-Sinai's Helen Goodridge. "Our research suggests one answer lies in specific properties of youthful blood cells." The older mice that got young marrow had greater synaptic connectivity in the hippocampus than the older mice that received old-marrow transplants or the ones that received no transplants. The researchers speculate that the synapses in the mice with poor cognitive function may have been deactivated by microglial cells. The young-marrow transplants apparently deactivated some of the microglia, maintaining synaptic connectivity. The researchers think this discovery could help advance the development of an effective treatment for Alzheimer's.