Whole-brain microscopy reveals distinct temporal and spatial efficacy of anti-Aβ therapies

Many efforts targeting amyloid-beta (A beta) plaques for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease thus far have resulted in failures during clinical trials. Regional and temporal heterogeneity of efficacy and dependence on plaque maturity may have contributed to these disappointing outcomes. In this study, we mapped the regional and temporal specificity of various anti-A beta treatments through high-resolution light-sheet imaging of electrophoretically cleared brains. We assessed the effect on amyloid plaque formation and growth in Thy1-APP/PS1 mice subjected to beta-secretase inhibitors, polythiophenes, or anti-A beta antibodies. Each treatment showed unique spatiotemporal A beta clearance, with polythiophenes emerging as a potent anti-A beta compound. Furthermore, aligning with a spatial-transcriptomic atlas revealed transcripts that correlate with the efficacy of each A beta therapy. As observed in this study, there is a striking dependence of specific treatments on the location and maturity of A beta plaques. This may also contribute to the clinical trial failures of A beta-therapies, suggesting that combinatorial regimens may be significantly more effective in clearing amyloid deposition.

Automated summary

This study mapped the regional and temporal specificity of different anti-A beta treatments and found a striking dependence on the location and maturity of A beta plaques. Polythiophenes emerged as a potent anti-A beta compound.