Scientists studying the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset dementia have achieved a critical milestone. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discovered exactly how the APOE4 gene breaks down the brain\’s intricate vascular network. By causing specific vascular cells called pericytes to mutate into scar-forming tissue, the gene chokes off cerebral blood flow. More importantly, the team successfully demonstrated in laboratory models that this cellular degradation process can be biochemically blocked, paving the way for therapies that could actively reverse cognitive decline and brain damage.
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