USC scientists discover a hidden Alzheimer’s trigger and a possible way to shut it down
Key takeaways
- Researchers at the University of Southern California have identified experimental compounds that could help reduce the brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- The USC team linked elevated c PLA2 activity to Alzheimer's risk while studying people who carry the APOE4 gene, the strongest known genetic risk factor for the disease.
- Because cPLA2 also supports healthy brain function, scientists needed to find a way to reduce its harmful activity without completely shutting the enzyme down.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Researchers at the University of Southern California have identified experimental compounds that could help reduce the brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease. The findings, published in the Nature journal npj Drug Discovery, focus on an enzyme called calcium-dependent phospholipase A2, or c PLA2, which appears to play an important role in inflammation inside the brain.
The USC team linked elevated c PLA2 activity to Alzheimer's risk while studying people who carry the APOE4 gene, the strongest known genetic risk factor for the disease. Although many APOE4 carriers never develop Alzheimer's, researchers found that those with higher cPLA2 activity were more likely to experience the disease.
Because cPLA2 also supports healthy brain function, scientists needed to find a way to reduce its harmful activity without completely shutting the enzyme down. Another challenge involved identifying compounds small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier so they could reach the brain effectively.