Alzheimer's disease research uncovers new intracellular plaques and amyloid‑beta structure

Scientists have identified a previously unknown form of neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease called mitochondrial plaques. These intracellular deposits, found in both animal models and human post‑mortem brain tissue, contain high levels of amyloid precursor protein and appear before the classic extracellular beta‑amyloid plaques, suggesting they may act as early seeds of disease and represent a novel therapeutic target. The discovery was reported by a University of Minnesota team in Nature Neuroscience.

In a separate study, researchers at Yale School of Medicine, led by Stephen Strittmatter, resolved the atomic structure of the oligomeric form of amyloid‑beta, the intermediate peptide believed to drive neuronal damage. Published in Nature Communications, the structural insight could guide the development of drugs that specifically target the harmful oligomers while sparing normal amyloid‑beta, addressing limitations of existing FDA‑approved therapies.