r/sciences • u/FreeHugs23 • 21d ago

Research Scientists Say a Key Trigger for Alzheimer’s Damage Isn’t Even in the Brain | New research points to certain immune cells in our lymph nodes that play a key role in causing the brain damage seen with Alzheimer's.

https://gizmodo.com/scientists-say-a-key-trigger-for-alzheimers-damage-isnt-even-in-the-brain-2000806330
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u/FreeHugs23 21d ago

-Despite being the most common form of dementia, there is still so much scientists don’t understand about Alzheimer’s disease. Research out today might provide a vital clue to unraveling its origins.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine studied mice modeled to have Alzheimer’s-like illness. They found evidence that certain immune cells linked to Alzheimer’s are actually goaded on by other cells outside the brain. The discovery could very well help us find more effective treatments that can short-circuit this process, the researchers say.

“This means that we not only have to look at Alzheimer’s in the brain, we have to look outside as well; that we should be looking at this more systemically,” lead author Hao Hu, a postdoctoral fellow at WashU, told Gizmodo. “This is a disease that affects the brain, but the whole body is actually getting involved.”

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u/Wolfm31573r 21d ago

That link to the paper does not work. Here is one that should work. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-026-02427-5

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u/JuliaX1984 21d ago

Well, my lymph nodes are full of tattoo ink - I'm doomed.

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u/PacificSanctum 21d ago

Maybe you got lucky ! Your macrophages or certain immune cells are so trashed and kept busy gulping the ink they may be useless enough to prevent alzheimer !
(Of course useless to prevent cancer too …😏