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Hunting for an Antigen: Humoral Immunity in Alzheimer's Disease
Angel M Delgado1,2, Braxton D Greer1,2, Robert W Maul1
1Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Cells
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Alzheimer's disease involves neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier disruption. This review explores the unclear role of B cells and antibodies in Alzheimer's disease pathology and potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, characterized by neuroinflammation, neurofibrillary tangles, and amyloid plaques.
- Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is linked to AD pathogenesis, leading to neuroimmune axis dysregulation.
- While innate and T-cell adaptive immunity are studied in AD, the role of B cells and autoantibodies remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current literature on the role of B cells in the central nervous system (CNS) during Alzheimer's disease.
- To investigate whether B cells are protective or pathogenic in the AD CNS.
- To identify potential antigenic targets of antibodies produced by B cells in AD.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating B cells, plasma cells, and autoantibodies in Alzheimer's disease.
- Analysis of the neuroimmune axis and blood-brain barrier integrity in AD pathogenesis.
- Synthesis of findings regarding humoral immunity's contribution to AD.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests T-cell activation in the AD CNS, indicating a complex neuroimmune relationship.
- The specific contribution of B cells and their antibodies to AD pathology requires further elucidation.
- Potential autoimmune responses involving autoantibodies are speculated but not fully characterized.
Conclusions:
- Characterizing humoral immunity's role in AD is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.
- Understanding B cell function and antibody targets may offer novel approaches to slow neurodegeneration.
- Further research is needed to clarify the protective or pathogenic nature of B cells in the AD CNS.
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