April 27, 2014

Role of the Innate Immune System in Aging and Development of Alzheimer’s Disease

Research in Howard Weiners laboratory at Brigham & Womens Hospital in Boston supported by a Transformational R01 Grant Role of the innate immune system in aging and the development of Alzheimers disease. We believe Alzheimers Disease is caused by an imbalance between production and clearance of amyloid protein leading to accumulation in the brain causing memory loss. Accumulation of amyloid is related to a defect in the ability of microglia cells in the brain and scavenger cells in the blood to clear amyloid from the brain and prevent brain damage.