1/24/24 [Aducanumab and Alzheimer's] Applying magnetic resonance imaging–guided focused ultrasound to the brain temporarily opens the blood-brain barrier and can lower levels of amyloid-β protein in people with Alzheimer disease, some previous studies have showed. But combining focused ultrasound to one side of the brain with infusions of aducanumab, a US Food and Drug Administration–approved monoclonal antibody for Alzheimer disease, cleared more amyloid-β plaque from those regions than the ones that were treated with the medication alone, a small proof-of-concept study found. The study’s 3 participants experienced a 32% reduction in amyloid-β levels.
The ultrasound was applied 2 hours after participants received an aducanumab infusion, and the blood-brain barrier remained open for about 1 to 2 days after treatment. The combination therapy continued for 6 months. None of the participants carried any copies of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele, which has been linked with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities after aducanumab treatment.
In addition, no participants experienced serious adverse events related to treatment, the researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Article Information
Emily Harris
Published Online: January 24, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.27970
JAMA. 2024;331(6):466-467. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.27970
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