Alzheimer's disease causes memory loss due to progressive brain damage. Current treatments only offer modest symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for new approaches. Recent studies have shown that early changes in two types of ‘support’ cells in the brain contribute to disease progression. Astrocytes, important for maintaining brain health, become dysfunctional and drive inflammation and protein spreading, while oligodendrocytes, cells that produce myelin and enable fast neuronal transmission, die. We have developed a new therapeutic approach in which disease-promoting astrocytes are converted into new, healthy oligodendrocytes. This project will test whether its application in Azheimer’s disease will result in disease improvement. Using human brain models, we will determine if astrocyte-to-oligodendrocyte conversion can change disease features, such as toxic protein buildup, inflammation, and neuron health. Success will provide proof-of-principle findings for astrocyte-to-oligodendrocyte reprogramming as a new therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease.
