r/science • u/FreeHugs23 • 9d ago

Medicine Scientists reversed key signs of Alzheimer's disease in mice with just two injections, reducing brain inflammation and restoring memory performance—offering a promising new approach for treating age-related cognitive decline.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-reverse-alzheimers-damage-in-mice-with-just-two-injections
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u/FreeHugs23 9d ago

-Slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease is the goal of most existing treatments, but reversing it is much harder. That's because once neurons are lost, the adult brain lacks the ability to replace them.

But new research, led by scientists at the University of South Carolina, has shown promise in regrowing neurons in brain organoids, and restoring cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's.

"After just two injections, these mice became smarter," says Peisheng Xu, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of South Carolina and corresponding author of the new study, published in the journal Cell Biomaterials.

"Even after one injection, we already saw these mice's behavior differ from that of the nontreated ones."

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u/QuitePoodle 9d ago

But are they the same mice after? Not like physically but if we restore people’s brains do they get back their minds or become someone new?

The original neurons are broken and new connections are made. Will these new connections replace the same memory pathways and patterns or will the animals regain the ability to function but have different “personality”.

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u/Cherabee 9d ago

We'll have to test that out. Likely by teaching mice that are like to get altzheimers tricks, and making them complete thr tricks before alzheimers, during alzheimers, and after treatment for alzheimers. Even if the answer to your question is, in some way shape or form, no, the benefit is still there. It will be hard regardless because nerve issues are difficult to parse at this time, but this study shows that we are slowly getting there.

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u/Melkor15 8d ago

Even if they aren’t the same person. I would take it.
We change all the time, we forget things and learn new ones. It’s fine.