Targeting the Chemokine CXCR3 Reduces Alzheimer's Disease

Chemokine CXCR3, protein that regulates inflammation and the immune response, can be used as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to scientists from the University of Bonn. The study indicates that activation of the CXCL10 receptor, CXCR3, contributes to AD pathology.AD is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by the formation of amyloid plaques throughout the brain. In both patients with AD and mouse AD models, the CXCL10 is found in high concentrations in the brain and may contribute to development of AD. Using a murine model of AD, Michael Heneka and colleagues found that mice lacking CXCR3 had reduced amyloid plaque formation. Also, loss of CXCR3 signaling in AD mice attenuated behavioral deficits.

The study is published in ‘Journal of Clinical Investigation’.

Source-Medindia