Amyloid-Beta Structure Revelation Sheds Light on Leqembi’s Function

 Originally published bBy Heather McKenzie on May 24, 2023

 

Pictured: Illustration of amyloid-beta oligomers accumulating into plaques on neurons/iStock, selvanegra

In January, the FDA approved Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi (lecanemab) to treat Alzheimer’s disease based on the antibody’s ability to reduce the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. Now, a recently published study has further clarified the drug’s mechanism of action, with potential implications for the future of Alzheimer’s drug development.

Antibodies such as Leqembi work by binding to and neutralizing amyloid-beta protein oligomers, free-floating clumps of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein. These oligomers further aggregate into the notorious amyloid plaques that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

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