Alexander disease: could a novel stem cell model provide insight into treatment?

A scientist from the City of Hope (CA, USA) has developed a stem cell model to assess possible treatments for a rare nervous system disorder known as Alexander disease, which is in the same disease group as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Yanhong Shi (City of Hope), senior author of the study explained: “The bulk of ApoE4 resides in astrocytes; ApoE4 is a gene variant known for increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So if we understand how astrocytes function, then we can develop therapies to treat Alexander disease and perhaps other diseases that involve astrocytes, such as Alzheimer’s...