Activating PIEZO1 for Alzheimer's disease

Activating the microglial mechanosensory ion channel PIEZO1 could help treat Alzheimer's. In postmortem brains from Alzheimer's patients, and in a genetic mouse model of Alzheimer's, microglia surrounding Aβ plaques had higher expression of PIEZO1 than microglia not associated with plaques.

In the mouse model, systemic administration of a PIEZO1 activator tool compound partially rescued memory function, prevented brain accumulation of Aβ plaques, increased the amount of Aβ internalized by microglia, and decreased the abundance of dystrophic neurites compared with vehicle...