A research team led by brain science professor Um Ji-won at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) has identified for the first time in the world how a biological switch in brain immune cells can ease Alzheimer’s disease, offering a potential pathway to repurpose existing drugs. The study revealed that the brain’s somatostatin, a neuropeptide that dampens neural activity and directly regulates microglia, which are resident immune cells in the brain, shifting them into a protective state that reduces disease pathology. When microglia were treated with somatostatin, their ability to clear toxic waste surged while inflammatory signals sharply declined, suggesting that the peptide effectively puts brain immunity back in balance. “This study is the first to show that the brain neurotransmitter somatostatin can directly reset immune cell states to ease dementia pathology and even improve memory performance,” the professor said. Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the accumulation of sticky protein clumps building up in the brain, known as amyloid‑beta plaques, and
DGIST professor finds brain immune switch to ease Alzheimer’s
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