Scientists reversed Alzheimer’s in mice — thanks to drug that mimics the brain’s ‘gatekeeper”

In a groundbreaking study, scientists from Spain and China have managed to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in mice, using an innovative therapy that restores communication between brain cells.

The discovery, led jointly by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the West China Hospital at Sichuan University, focuses on repairing the brain’s protective shield — the blood-brain barrier — often called the brain’s “gatekeepers.” This barrier acts as a filter, keeping harmful toxins and pathogens out. But in people with Alzheimer’s, it stops working properly, allowing damage to spread unchecked.

How the new treatment works

To tackle this, researchers designed bioactive nanoparticles — microscopic particles capable of restoring the normal function of the blood-brain barrier. When introduced into the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s, these particles helped the brain’s cells “talk” to each other again.

According to Junyang Chen, co-author of the study and a researcher at West China Hospital, the effects were almost immediate.

“Only one hour after the injection, we observed a reduction of 50 to 60% in [amyloid protein] amount inside the brain,” Chen explained.

These nanoparticles function like “supramolecular drugs”, the study authors said, reactivating the brain’s natural cleaning system to remove beta-amyloid plaques — the toxic protein clusters that cause cognitive decline.

From lab mice to long-term memory recovery

The team didn’t stop at short-term effects. They monitored the mice for months to see whether memory and cognitive function would return.

In one key test, a 12-month-old mouse (roughly equivalent to a 60-year-old human) received the nanoparticle treatment. Six months later, its behavior and memory tests matched those of a healthy animal.

For researchers, this suggested something extraordinary — that restoring the brain’s protective barrier might also restore lost memories.

“The long-term effect comes from restoring the brain’s vasculature,” explained the study’s lead researcher, Professor Giuseppe Battaglia, in a statement. “Once the vasculature is able to function again, it starts clearing [amyloid proteins] and other harmful molecules, allowing the whole system to recover its balance.”

“What’s remarkable is that our nanoparticles act as a drug and seem to activate a feedback mechanism that brings this clearance pathway back to normal levels,” he added.

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