CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Researchers in the Eyo Lab say immune cells called microglia could provide a new target for developing therapies for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Postdoctoral Research Associate Williams Mills III described that microglia help blood flow by keeping capillaries, or pathways, open. When microglia cells are lost, blood transport slows due to restricted, smaller pathways.
For diseases like Alzheimer’s, Mills says he is hopeful the discovery will lead to a greater understanding of blood flow to the brain and accessible therapies for Alzheimer’s.
“It’s exciting that microglia can modulate blood flow, because when we talk about treating various aspects of this disease, not just blood flow, we can target other aspects,” Mills said.
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