Nasal Spray Derived From Human Placenta Protects Against Alzheimer’s Decline, Study in Mice Shows

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Scientists in Italy are exploring an unusual possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease: a nasal spray made with tiny packages naturally released by cells. Early experiments suggest these packages can reach the brain and may help protect memory and brain function. The research was carried out by teams from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS and the E. Menni Research Center of Fondazione Poliambulanza. The study was published in the journal Translational Neurodegeneration. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. It gradually damages brain cells, leading to worsening problems with memory, thinking, communication and the ability to manage everyday life. Scientists have traditionally focused heavily on two proteins linked to the disease, beta-amyloid and tau. Abnormal forms of these proteins can build up in the brain, but researchers increasingly believe that inflammation and changes in the environment surrounding brain cells also play impor

Scientists across Italy are investigating an unconventional therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease by delivering tiny, naturally produced biological packages directly through the nasal passage. The sticky proteins amyloid-beta and tau are hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease, but they’re not the only contributors to the condition. Another factor implicated in cognitive decline is the chronic activation of specific cells in the brain – namely microglia and astrocytes – which can damage neurons through neuroinflammation. In a new study reported in Translational Neurodegeneration, scientists may have found a way to help counter that inflammation, with help coming from what might seem like an unlikely source: the placenta.

In an experiment, a team led by scientists from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy treated mice with a nasal formulation containing tiny particles called extracellular vesicles, derived from cells found in the human placenta. As described in the study published in Translational Neurodegeneration, the experimental treatment uses extracellular vesicles derived from the amniotic membrane, the tissue surrounding the developing baby during pregnancy. A particularly promising avenue within regenerative medicine involves harnessing the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles, particularly those isolated from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), the team writes in their paper, led by first author and

Adnkronos Salute

The research is part of a broader field of investigation described in an Adnkronos Salute report from Milan, Sep 9, titled Alzheimer, hope from the placenta: Nasal spray defends neurons and memory. From the placenta, hope against Alzheimer’s. A nasal spray based on nanovesicles naturally released by amniotic membrane cells could work against the neurodegenerative disease. This is the promise coming from an Italian study conducted by scientists from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the A. Gemelli Irccs University Polyclinic Foundation in Rome and the ‘E. Menni’ Research Center of the Poliambulanza Foundation in Brescia. In an experimental model of Alzheimer’s, the spray proved capable of reaching the brain, counteracting neuroinflammation, protecting neuron function, and preserving memory. Researchers also obtained positive results on human neurons in vitro. The data are published in ‘Translational Neurodegeneration’, a journal edited by Nature. The authors – explains a note from the Catholic University, Rome campus – have shown that nanovesicles, administered intranasally

Targeting the Hippocampus via Intranasal Delivery

When administered through the nose to an animal model designed to mimic features of Alzheimer’s disease, the nanovesicles travelled to the hippocampus, a brain region central to memory and particularly v

Andrea Papait

Andrea Papait, cell biologist and first author

Insights From Human Neurons In Vitro

The researchers also reported positive findings in experiments using human neurons grown in the laboratory.

Claudio Grassi, senior researcher and neuroscientist

Collaborative Institutional Framework

The research is the product of an extended cross-institutional collaboration uniting scientists from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the A. Gemelli IRCCS University Polyclinic Foundation in Rome, and the E. Menni Research Center of the Poliambulanza Foundation in Brescia.