Health · Medical Research · 52 mins ago
Blocking an immune pathway protected brain tissue in mice with tau buildup
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that blocking a route for immune cells protected mice with tau buildup.
They used an antibody to block CXCR3, a receptor that helps T cells follow a chemical signal into the brain.
After three and a half months, treated mice had about half as many brain T cells as untreated mice and retained roughly 40% more tissue in memory-related regions.
The mice also showed less nerve cell damage and performed better on a memory test, even though both groups had similar amounts of tau.
Tau builds up in Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases, and immune activity may add to the damage it causes.
Existing Alzheimer’s drugs that target amyloid can slow decline, but they have not been shown to prevent brain cell death and do not treat primary tauopathies.
The findings suggest a possible treatment approach, but the study was in mice, and the researchers said the pathway is worth pursuing to see whether it can reduce brain cell death.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that blocking an immune-cell pathway protected brain tissue in mice with tau buildup.
The treated mice had about half as many T cells in their brains as untreated mice.
They retained roughly 40% more tissue in memory-related regions, despite having similar amounts of tau.
The mice also showed fewer signs of nerve cell damage and performed better on a memory test.
The findings point to a possible treatment approach that targets the brain’s response to tau rather than removing tau deposits.
- Who
- Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied mice with tau buildup.
- What
- They blocked the CXCR3 pathway with an antibody, reducing T-cell entry into the brain and protecting tissue.
- When
- The findings were published Sept. 28. The article was published Oct. 13, 2026.
- Where
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; the experiments involved mice.
- Why
- The researchers investigated whether preventing T cells from entering the brain could reduce damage associated with tau buildup.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A previous study by Holtzman’s laboratory found that T cells entered the brains of mice with tau buildup and caused neurodegeneration.
A related study found that T cells receive their instructions in lymph nodes outside the brain.
The new study was published in Neuron.
Young mice with existing tau buildup received injections of an antibody that blocks CXCR3 every five days.
- Study institution
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
- Targeted pathway
- CXCL10 signal and CXCR3 receptor
- T cells in treated mice
- About half as many as in untreated mice
- Brain tissue retained
- Roughly 40% more in memory-related regions
- Tau levels
- Similar in treated and untreated mice
What people are saying
In tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease, there’s no treatment right now that actually decreases neurodegeneration.
If we can show that we’re really decreasing brain cell death, it’s certainly worth trying to pursue that pathway to prevent the most devastating consequences of these diseases.
Sources
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