By Michael Irving – New Atlas
Scientists at Stanford Medicine have tested a new potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in mice. The therapy involves transplanting blood stem cells from healthy mice into those with the disease, which helps replace defective neural cells.
Some forms of Alzheimer’s have been linked to certain gene variants in a type of brain cell called microglia. These are the resident immune cells of the brain, which keep watch over this vital organ for signs of pathogens, damage or metabolic waste build-up and get to work fixing it. The Stanford team focused on one particular gene called TREM2.