Xenon gas might one day be used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers from Mass General Brigham and Washington University. Don’t let its alien-sounding name frighten you. Xenon gas is commonly used as a medical aesthetic.
The researchers found that mice suffering from Alzheimer’s-like conditions saw reduced brain inflammation and a slowing of brain atrophy after inhaling xenon gas.
One of the biggest signs that xenon gas might actually be doing some good is that they even saw a reduction in amyloid plaque in the brain. These are deposits of proteins called beta-amyloids in the brain that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers think xenon is activating the brain’s immune cells to protect the brain from neurodegeneration.
To understand why xenon gas has so far proven effective in the brains of mice, you have to understand what the Blood-Brain Barrier is and why it’s such a hurdle. It’s a complex structure that separates the blood circulating in the brain from the brain tissue itself. This layer of cells defends your brain from harmful substances that could potentially damage it, yet xenon gas passes right through it.
Once past those defenses, the xenon gas facilitated neuroprotective responses in the brains of mice that could potentially mitigate the damage caused by Alzheimer’s. The researchers feel like they have enough information gathered from mice to expand into human trials to see if they can get a similar response.
If they do, we may have a whole new way to tackle Alzheimer’s disease and maybe even a whole host of other neurological disorders. Phase 1 of human testing will begin later in 2025.
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