With a biocompatible capsule, a team of researchers in Switzerland have found a way to treat patients with Alzheimer’s by turning the patient’s immune system against the disease.

The capsule safely, and steadily, delivers a flow of antibodies to the brain to clear the accumulation of amyloid. In Alzheimer’s disease, these fragments build up to create plaques, interfering with cell-to-cell communication and triggering mental decline.

Made of two permeable membranes sealed together with a polypropylene frame, the capsule contains a hydrogel that facilitates cell growth. It is implanted in the tissue under the skin where the cells cross over into the brain to target the plaques.
The genetically engineered cells inside the device have to be compatible with the patient, according to the research, so as to not trigger the immune system against them, like a transplant.

The cells are taken from muscle tissue and then engineered to produce the antibodies that will recognize and target amyloid beta (Abeta) proteins. The permeable membranes let them interact with the surrounding tissue to get all the nutrients and molecules they need.

The two membranes shield the cells from being identified and attacked by the immune system. This protection also means that cells from a single donor can be used on multiple patients.

At the end of a 39 week study on mice that had Alzheimer’s, the formation of Abeta plaques in the brain decreased. The treatment also reduced the phosphorylation, the function and activity of the protein tau, which helps in the transport of nutrients and other materials of brain cells.

The encapsulated cell implants can be used successfully and safely to deliver antibodies to treat Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders that feature defective proteins, according to the study.

Previously, one of the ways to fight the plaques was to tag the Abeta proteins with antibodies that signal the host’s immune system to attack and clear them — but this requires repeated vaccine injections, which can cause side effects.

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