Breakthrough Alzheimer's Treatment Repairs Blood-Brain Barrier, Slashes Amyloid Levels in Mice
October 7, 2025
In mouse studies, this treatment reduced amyloid levels by nearly 45%, leading to significant improvements in spatial learning and memory, with benefits lasting up to six months.
Behavioral assessments demonstrated that treated mice showed cognitive performance comparable to healthy controls, indicating the therapy's potential to reverse Alzheimer's symptoms.
Imaging and biochemical analyses confirmed that the treatment reactivated transcytosis pathways, upregulated key proteins like PACSIN2, and improved vascular integrity, reinforcing its mechanism of vascular repair and amyloid clearance.
The lead researcher, Professor Giuseppe Battaglia, stated that if larger preclinical trials confirm these findings, clinical trials in humans could begin within a few years, and restoring the BBB might benefit other neurological diseases as well.
Further studies are planned to conduct larger preclinical trials before moving to human testing, with early clinical trials potentially starting soon, contingent on confirming safety and efficacy.
Experts caution that these results are preliminary, as the studies were conducted in mice, and it remains uncertain whether the approach will be effective in humans.
Currently, there are no licensed drugs capable of reversing Alzheimer's, which affects over 944,000 people in Britain, highlighting the urgent need for innovative treatments like this one.
This method involves using specially designed nanoparticles that activate the brain's natural waste removal mechanisms, specifically enhancing the clearance of amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer's.
The innovative technique reprograms the brain's export pathways, making amyloid beta removal more efficient without relying solely on drug delivery across the BBB.
Researchers have developed a novel approach to treat Alzheimer's by targeting and repairing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which plays a crucial role in the disease's progression.
Future research will focus on testing the safety and effectiveness of this approach in humans, emphasizing the importance of multiple strategies to combat Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The treatment utilizes angiopep-2–conjugated polymersomes engineered to promote receptor recycling via PACSIN2-mediated transcytosis, restoring BBB function and enhancing amyloid beta clearance.
In genetically modified mice, the treatment caused a 50-60% reduction in amyloid beta within one hour, demonstrating rapid and significant effectiveness without toxicity.
Summary based on 9 sources
Get a daily email with more Science stories
Sources

Newsweek • Oct 6, 2025
Scientists Achieve ‘Striking Reversal of Alzheimer’s’ in Mice
Economic Times • Oct 7, 2025
Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice — breakthrough sparks hope for humans
Female First • Oct 7, 2025
Alzheimer's reversed in mice in major breakthrough study