Researchers: Reversing Alzheimer's damage to the brain may be possible

Scientists who studied the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease said they have uncovered new evidence about how this factor develops and how its harmful effects on the brain can be neutralized.

Doctors have long known that blood vessels in the brain deteriorate with Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in individuals carrying the APOE4 gene, but the mechanisms behind this process remained unclear.

However, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York discovered that the APOE4 gene damages brain blood vessels and promotes the accumulation of abnormal proteins.

This occurs by converting perivascular cells—cells that normally help stabilize small blood vessels—into scar-forming cells, leading to increased vessel thickness and greater accumulation of misfolded protein clumps known as amyloid, which are targeted by current therapies. These changes can impede blood flow to the brain, resulting in brain damage.

Gail Planchard, a co-author of the two research papers, stated in a press release that “blood vessel damage in the brain is not merely a late consequence of Alzheimer’s disease, but a biologically active process driven by APOE4 that may be possible to reverse.”

She added, “These findings pave the way for new therapeutic targets aimed at preserving vascular function and reducing amyloid accumulation.”