Swiss scientists have developed an implantable capsule that they say could stop Alzheimer's disease in its tracks.
In studies of mice engineered to develop a rodent version of Alzheimer's, the device was found to significantly recue levels of beta-amyloid protein and plaques the brain — features tied to memory loss, cognitive decline, and eventually death in dementia patients —
Medical News Today reports.
In the journal Brain, researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland reported the capsule, when implanted under the skin, releases antibodies that travel to the brain and trigger the patient's immune system to clear beta-amyloid protein.
Beta-amyloid protein is believed to be a key player in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Webs of the proteins clump together in the brain, forming plaques that accumulate in the spaces between nerve cells, which researchers suggest interfere with the processes these cells need to survive.
The capsule is made up of cells taken from muscle tissue that have been genetically engineered to produce high levels of antibodies that have the ability to recognize and target beta-amyloid proteins in the brain.
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