A study from TUM demonstrates a promising therapeutic approach.
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have made promising advances in preventing Alzheimer's by developing a new therapeutic strategy. Their approach focuses on targeting the amyloid beta biomolecule, known to cause the early-stage hyperactivity of nerve cells characteristic of the disease.
The team led by Dr. Benedikt Zott and Prof. Arthur Konnerth from the TUM School of Medicine and Health and Prof. Arne Skerra from the TUM School of Life Sciences succeeded in developing and using a protein drug that can suppress the effects of the harmful molecule.
The results obtained on mice in the laboratory indicate that neuronal dysfunctions could even be repaired. The study was published in the renowned journal Nature Communications. The researchers hope that the protein they investigated, which experts refer to as amyloid-beta-binding anticalin (H1GA), can halt the progression of the serious neurodegenerative disease at an early stage.
Alzheimer's Disease: A Growing Global Health Crisis
According to experts, there are an estimated 55 million people worldwide living with dementia, most of them suffering from Alzheimer's. Each year, around 10 million new cases are diagnosed. There is currently no medication to combat the basic mechanisms of the disease. Only symptoms such as declining mental performance can be treated.
Dr. Benedikt Zott emphasizes: "We are still a long way from a therapy that can be used in humans, but the results in animal experiments are very encouraging. The effect of completely suppressing neuronal hyperactivity in the early stages of the disease is particularly remarkable."
The Development and Testing of H1GA
The researchers obtained the anticalin H1GA by protein design and produced it in genetically modified bacteria of the species Escherichia coli. The active ingredient was injected directly into the hippocampus region of the brain. The previously hyperactive brain cells could then no longer be distinguished from healthy nerve cells in terms of measurable behavior.
It is still unclear whether the effect can actually be achieved in human patients outside the laboratory. In any case, a more effective form of administration of the active ingredient is currently being developed. In 2016, the active substance solanezumab, which was supposed to have a similar effect, proved to be a failure in large-scale clinical trials, but this can be explained by its different molecular structure. Zott and his colleagues also compared their new active ingredient directly with solanezumab in the trials. H1GA showed clearer positive effects.
Reference: "β-amyloid monomer scavenging by an anticalin protein prevents neuronal hyperactivity in mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease" by Benedikt Zott, Lea Nästle, Christine Grienberger, Felix Unger, Manuel M. Knauer, Christian Wolf, Aylin Keskin-Dargin, Anna Feuerbach, Marc Aurel Busche, Arne Skerra and Arthur Konnerth, 10 July 2024, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50153-y
News
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
A new method that improves the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be vital for individuals who are unable to have their blood pressure measured on the arm. A newly developed [...]
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin’s defenses
Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does. But even without breaking down completely, plastic [...]
Chernobyl scientists discover black fungus feeding on deadly radiation
It looks pretty sinister, but it might actually be incredibly helpful When reactor number four in Chernobyl exploded, it triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, one which the surrounding area still has not [...]
Long COVID Is Taking A Silent Toll On Mental Health, Here’s What Experts Say
Months after recovering from COVID-19, many people continue to feel unwell. They speak of exhaustion that doesn’t fade, difficulty breathing, or an unsettling mental haze. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that recovery from the [...]
Study Delivers Cancer Drugs Directly to the Tumor Nucleus
A new peptide-based nanotube treatment sneaks chemo into drug-resistant cancer cells, providing a unique workaround to one of oncology’s toughest hurdles. CiQUS researchers have developed a novel molecular strategy that allows a chemotherapy drug to [...]
Scientists Begin $14.2 Million Project To Decode the Body’s “Hidden Sixth Sense”
An NIH-supported initiative seeks to unravel how the nervous system tracks and regulates the body’s internal organs. How does your brain recognize when it’s time to take a breath, when your blood pressure has [...]
Scientists Discover a New Form of Ice That Shouldn’t Exist
Researchers at the European XFEL and DESY are investigating unusual forms of ice that can exist at room temperature when subjected to extreme pressure. Ice comes in many forms, even when made of nothing but water [...]
Nobel-winning, tiny ‘sponge crystals’ with an astonishing amount of inner space
The 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi on Oct. 8, 2025, for the development of metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, which are tunable crystal structures with extremely [...]
Harnessing Green-Synthesized Nanoparticles for Water Purification
A new review reveals how plant- and microbe-derived nanoparticles can power next-gen water disinfection, delivering cleaner, safer water without the environmental cost of traditional treatments. A recent review published in Nanomaterials highlights the potential of green-synthesized nanomaterials (GSNMs) in [...]
Brainstem damage found to be behind long-lasting effects of severe Covid-19
Damage to the brainstem - the brain's 'control center' - is behind long-lasting physical and psychiatric effects of severe Covid-19 infection, a study suggests. Using ultra-high-resolution scanners that can see the living brain in [...]
CT scan changes over one year predict outcomes in fibrotic lung disease
Researchers at National Jewish Health have shown that subtle increases in lung scarring, detected by an artificial intelligence-based tool on CT scans taken one year apart, are associated with disease progression and survival in [...]
AI Spots Hidden Signs of Disease Before Symptoms Appear
Researchers suggest that examining the inner workings of cells more closely could help physicians detect diseases earlier and more accurately match patients with effective therapies. Researchers at McGill University have created an artificial intelligence tool capable of uncovering [...]
Breakthrough Blood Test Detects Head and Neck Cancer up to 10 Years Before Symptoms
Mass General Brigham’s HPV-DeepSeek test enables much earlier cancer detection through a blood sample, creating a new opportunity for screening HPV-related head and neck cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for about 70% of [...]
