Researchers uncover molecular signatures of blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease

Mayo ClinicJun 26 2024 The blood-brain barrier -; a network of blood vessels and tissues that nurtures and protects the brain from harmful substances circulating in the blood -; is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic and collaborators have uncovered unique molecular signatures of blood-brain barrier dysfunction that could point to new ways to diagnose and treat the disease. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.

Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, M.D., Ph.D., senior author, chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic and leader of the Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease and Endophenotypes Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, Florida They focused on brain vascular cells, which make up a small portion of cell types in the brain, to examine molecular changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. In particular, they looked at two cell types that play an important role in maintaining the blood-brain barrier: pericytes, the gatekeepers of the brain that maintain the integrity of blood vessels, and their support cells known as astrocytes, to determine if and how they interact.

Related StoriesThe team used stem cells from blood and skin samples of the Alzheimer's disease patient donors and those in the control group. They treated the cells with VEGFA to see how it affected SMAD3 levels and overall vascular health. The VEGFA treatment caused a decline in SMAD3 levels in brain pericytes, indicating interaction between these molecules.

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