Sigma for synapses

By focusing on synapse protection instead of aggregate formation, Cognition Therapeutics Inc. has identified a new target for Alzheimer’s disease that it believes can block β amyloid’s toxic effects more efficiently than the standard approaches. The idea is that targeting the relatively understudied σ-2 receptor could preserve -- and maybe regenerate -- synapses, halting or reversing cognitive decline.

While recent research in neuropsychiatric disorders has sought new targets related to synaptic connectivity and function, research in neurodegenerative disorders has largely focused on protein aggregation, and AD in particular has fixated on attacking β amyloid clusters or tau-filled neurofibrillary tangles. ...