Antibody Shields Mouse Brains From Tau Damage Without Clearing Tangles

Researchers at WashU Medicine blocked the CXCR3 receptor to keep T cells out of the brains of mice with tau pathology. Treated animals retained about 40% more tissue in memory-related regions even though their tau tangles were unchanged. The findings were published in Neuron.

• CXCR3 blockade halved T cell counts in the mouse brain
• Treated mice kept 40% more tissue in memory regions
• Tau tangle levels remained unchanged
• The antibody acts at the brain's border without entering tissue