Alzheimer's: Human Umbilical Cord Cells Improve Cognition in Model Mice

Researchers from the University of South Florida have discovered that blood cells from human umbilical cords, or HUCBCs, can greatly improve on some cognitive defects caused by Alzheimer's disease, as well as reduce the effects of amyloid-beta plaques (Aβ), a physiological hallmark of the disease, according to EurekAlert. 

Alzheimer's disease has ravaged families across the planet, and on average, affects 26 million people worldwide, and is the fourth leading cause of death among the elderly, according to Alz.org. 

And it is not going away. It is predicted that the number of cases of Alzheimer's will quadruple by 2050.

The study, led by senior author Dr. Jun Tian of the Rashid Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology at the Silver Child Development Center, exercised putting HUCBCs into mice that were affected by Alzheimer's, a process called cell transplantation.

The team hypothesized that monocytes, which are critical part of the immune system's ability to process foreign material and fight infections, can help clear aggregated Aβ protein when they're brought from cord blood and transplanted into mice with Alzheimer's. 

"We previously reported that HUCBCs modulated inflammation, diminished Aβ pathology, and reduced behavioral deficits in mice modeled with AD," said Dr. Donna Darlington, also of the Rashid Laboratory. "In this study, we attempted to determine which MNC population was conferring these effects and to determine the mechanism by which these effects occur." 

Over a two-to-four month time frame, researchers found that giving the mice HUCBC-derived monocytes didn't just diminished Aβ pathology, but also improved hippocampal-dependent learning, memory, and motor function, all areas punished by the disease.

Alzheimer's is known to alter the fuction of the immune system, causing molecules and cells to promote imflammation, which can accelerate the progression of the disease. This cell transplantation has shown to reduce the activity of these molecules (known as CD40 and CD40L), according to Top News.

"Our study is the first to report that the potential therapeutic mechanism of umbilical cord blood cells is more through targeting and fixing this malevolent peripheral immune functioning rather than through direct interaction with neurons," said Tian. "We believe restoring the balance between molecules that promote and inhibit inflammation could play a big role in future treatment strategies against Alzheimer's disease." 

This study, published by Cell Transplantation, may provide opportunities to provide developments not only dealing with Alzheimer's, but additional neurological diseases.

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