Removing only a small segment of a gene in the brain cells of mice reduced the formation of plaques seen in Alzheimer’s disease by 44 per cent
Health
12 December 2022
Illustration of amyloid plaques forming between neuron nobeastsofierce Science/Alamy
Deleting only a small portion of a gene in brain cells might slow the progression or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In mice, the therapy reduces the formation of amyloid plaques, the characteristic clumps of proteins seen in the brains of people with the condition.
Past attempts at using CRISPR gene-editing technology for neurodegenerative diseases often focused on removing DNA sequences implicated in disease pathology, but this can have unintended consequences. Take for example the APP gene, which contains instructions …
