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Alzheimer's Cell Change

15 October 2026

Alzheimer's Cell Change

A variant of the APOE gene called APOE4 is the strongest-known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is linked to brain blood vessel damage. This study finds APOE4 promotes a change in one cell type pericytes to another called myofibroblasts in the brain due to a raise in activity of a cell molecular pathway TGF-β signalling. Reducing TGF-β signalling reverses the cell transition along with its associated vessel fibrosis and AD-characteristic amyloid accumulation

Read the published research article here

Written by Lindsey Goff

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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