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The Brain Inflamed
Article

The Brain Inflamed

The brain’s immune system could be provoking Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Can scientists get it back in check?

Nature, 2018


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Innovative
  • Scientific

Recommendation

For the last 100 years or so, conventional wisdom held that the amyloid plaques and tau tangles seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s were byproducts of the horrible, traumatic neurodegeneration that characterizes the disease. But new evidence is accumulating that they in fact cause the symptoms, and that they arise because of dysregulation of the brain’s immune system. If this devastating disorder impacts your friends and family, you might find that this reversal of perspective offers a glimmer of hope.

Take-Aways

  • The amyloid plaques and tau tangles that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease may be a cause of the condition.
  • A toxic cycle of inflammation leads to the accumulation of amyloid plaques throughout the brain.
  • Misregulation of the immune system contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s not clear how to fix it.

About the Author

Alison Abbott has a PhD in Pharmacology and is the Senior European Correspondent for Nature.


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