Nature子刊：谭蔚泓/邱丽萍团队开发核酸适配体武装的单核细胞疗法，治疗阿尔茨海默病

Core Viewpoint - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the gradual decline of memory and cognitive functions, with a focus on the complex interactions of various disorders leading to neurodegeneration rather than solely targeting specific neuronal features [2] Group 1: Research Findings - A recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering developed aptamer-armed monocytes (Apt-M) that can target and clear extracellular Tau protein, alleviating neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease mouse models and improving memory and spatial learning abilities without causing toxicity [3][8] - Monocytes, particularly the Ly6C+ inflammatory subset, can migrate across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and differentiate into macrophages, which can phagocytize neurotoxic substances like Aβ, potentially slowing the progression of neurodegeneration [6] - The study highlights that the engineered Apt-M can effectively penetrate the BBB and accumulate in Tau-rich brain regions, significantly reducing Tau protein burden and suppressing neuroinflammation, thereby maintaining neuronal and mitochondrial integrity [8][10] Group 2: Mechanism and Implications - The research indicates that enhancing the beneficial functions of monocytes is ideal for treating Alzheimer's disease, as they can be modified to improve their efficacy in clearing toxic proteins [6][7] - The use of nucleic acid aptamers, which are short single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides, allows for targeted delivery and effective clearance of Tau proteins, presenting a promising strategy for Alzheimer's disease intervention [7][10] - Overall, the study suggests that nucleic acid aptamer-guided monocytes provide a novel approach for targeted delivery, effective clearance, and sustained neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease treatment [10]