- Two innovative CRISPR-based therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease were unveiled during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023 in Amsterdam.
- One method targets the APOE-e4 gene, a significant genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, aiming to mitigate its effects.
- The other method focuses on reducing the production of beta-amyloid, a harmful protein associated with the disease.
- These developments hold promise for advancing treatment options and provide hope for those affected by Alzheimer’s.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a gene editing system, is a method scientists use to edit genes.
CRISPR is like a pair of tiny molecular scissors that make a targeted cut in a specific location of a DNA sequence.
Once the DNA is cut, scientists can replace faulty genes with a healthy one, remove problematic genes or even introduce new genes altogether.
CRISPR has the potential to help us understand genetic diseases better and develop new treatments or help expedite the identification of drug targets, ultimately accelerating the drug discovery process.
Recently, scientists unveiled two new CRISPR-based therapeutic approaches to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023, held in Amsterdam.
As part of the first study, researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a gene-editing technique using CRISPR that specifically targets the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which plays a critical role in Alzheimer’s disease.
The APP gene produces different products, some of which are protective (sAPPa), while others, like beta-amyloid, are associated with pathology.
This approach aims to decrease the production of beta-amyloid while promoting neuroprotective actions. To test their strategy, the researchers conducted experiments on mice with Alzheimer’s disease.
They found that CRISPR treatment resulted in a reduction in beta-amyloid plaques, a…
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