Cancer Signals Could Help the Brain Fight Alzheimer's, Mouse Study Finds
TL;DR Summary
A mouse study shows tumors releasing cystatin-C into the bloodstream can cross the blood-brain barrier, bind amyloid-beta, and activate microglia via Trem2 to clear plaques, sometimes improving memory in Alzheimer’s-like mice. While intriguing, these results are in animals and it's unknown whether humans would experience a similar protective effect; researchers are exploring therapies that mimic this mechanism without cancer.
- Cancer May Emit Signals That Protect The Brain Against Alzheimer's ScienceAlert
- People who survive cancers are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s – this might be why The Conversation
- Surprising way cancer cells clear problematic proteins in the brain New Atlas
- Cancer tumors may protect against Alzheimer's by cleaning out protein clumps Medical Xpress
- Cancer May Help To Protect Us From Dementia HuffPost UK
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