Maternal antibodies facilitate Amyloid-β clearance by activating Fc-receptor-Syk-mediated phagocytosis

Abstract

Illouz et al vaccinated wildtype female mice against human Amyloid-β (Aβ) prior to them being bred with 5xFAD males, which model Aβ deposition, as occurs in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Down’s syndrome (DS). The resultant offspring had reduced cortical Aβ levels and milder memory deficits, up to 4 months after antibodies were no longer detectable, due to a long term shift in microglial phenotype. This study demonstrates that maternal immunization can alleviate cognitive decline and pathology associated with AD and DS.