Scientists find Alzheimer's immune driver outside the brain

A WashU Medicine study found that T cells receive signals from lymph nodes outside the brain that prime them to enter the brain and drive neurodegeneration. Blocking those signals in mice dramatically reduced brain damage and preserved cognition, even though tau tangles remained. The work was published Sept. 3 in Nature Neuroscience.

• Blocking lymph node signals sharply cut neurodegeneration in mice
• Tau tangle levels in the brain remained unchanged
• Mice retained their cognitive abilities after the intervention
• The study was published Sept. 3 in Nature Neuroscience