Indianapolis, Indiana – Scientists at Indiana University School of Medicine say they have uncovered a promising new pathway that could reshape how Alzheimer’s disease is treated, offering fresh hope in a field that has long struggled to slow the condition’s relentless progression. Their findings center on a specific enzyme in the brain that appears to play a critical role in the buildup of amyloid plaques — one of the most recognizable biological features of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disorder that gradually erodes memory, thinking skills, and independence, affects millions of people worldwide. In recent years, treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have begun to target amyloid plaques directly. Two such medications, lecanemab and donanemab, are designed to remove these protein deposits, helping stabilize patients by slowing functional decline rather than reversing damage.
But researchers in Indianapolis believe their discovery could open a different and potentially powerful avenue. The team, led by Hande Karahan and Jungsu Kim, identified an enzyme known as IDOL as a key factor influencing plaque formation and brain cell health. Their experiments showed that when the enzyme was removed specifically from neurons — the cells responsible for transmitting signals throughout the brain — amyloid plaque levels dropped significantly…