Antibody-induced neurogenesis

Scientists have theorized that one strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s would be to replace the dead and dying brain cells with a stem cell therapeutic. But even if the practical and regulatory hurdles could be cleared, a stem cell approach would likely become entangled in ethical debate. Israeli scientists seeking a way around that problem have reported on an antibody therapy that potentially could do the job.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University reported last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that antibodies against the EFRH sequence of beta amyloid stimulated endogenous neurogenesis in a mouse model of AD. The researchers determined that the new neurons expressed an activity-dependent gene, suggesting that they were functional and integrated into normal brain circuits...