2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)

The therapeutic effect of plasma exchange in Amyloid beta (Aß) pathology.

Can the removal of circulating beta-amyloid in the blood be used as a therapy for Alzheimer’s?

Suélyn Koerich, Ph.D.
The University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, TX - United States

Background

One of the hallmark brain changes in Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein that forms clump-like aggregates called “plaques” in the brain. These plaques are believed to impair nerve cell communication in the brain and may contribute to brain cell death leading to the cognitive changes seen in Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that free beta-amyloid circulating in the blood can be used as a reliable biological marker (biomarker) to estimate the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain and detect and diagnose Alzheimer’s. Additionally, studies suggest circulating beta-amyloid may even be transported back to the brain to form more plaques. 

Dr. Suélyn Koerich and colleagues believe that circulating amyloid-beta in the blood may hold the key to preventing beta-amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain.

Research Plan

Dr. Koerich and colleagues will investigate whether a process called plasma exchange, where one’s own plasma is removed and replaced in the blood, could be used to remove circulating beta-amyloid and prevent plaque accumulation in the brain. They will do this using genetically engineered Alzheimer’s-like mice that form plaques. The team will harvest plasma from these mice, remove beta-amyloid, and replace it with their “new” plasma. Then, the researchers will assess cognitive function in the same mice that had the plasma exchange treatment.

Impact

If successful, results from this study could give rise to a novel, cost-effective, and non-invasive treatment strategy for Alzheimer’s.