Specialized brain cells called tanycytes may hold the key to stopping Alzheimer's

Health
Specialized brain cells called tanycytes may hold the key to stopping Alzheimer's

Tanycytes act as gatekeepers in the brain, potentially preventing the spread of toxic proteins that cause Alzheimer's disease by regulating how substances move through the blood-brain barrier.

Located in the hypothalamus, tanycytes are versatile glial cells that control the exchange of molecules between the blood and brain. Recent research suggests these cells play a vital role in pumping toxic tau proteins out of the brain before they can form the tangles associated with Alzheimer's.

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