Ann Johnson became paralyzed after a brainstem stroke at age 30. As a participant in a clinical trial led by researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, she finally heard her voice again.

Paper on a promising Alzheimer’s immunotherapy: engineered asymmetric anti-amyloid-β antibody with a transferrin receptor binding domain for crossing the blood-brain-barrier and a mutation which mitigates harmful side effects seen in past versions of this type of treatment. #immunotherapy #alzheimers

Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), side effects of anti-amyloid drugs seen in magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, are a major safety concern in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We developed an antibody transport vehicle (ATV) targeting transferrin receptor (TfR) for brain delivery of anti-amyloid-β protein (anti-Aβ) using asymmetrical Fc mutations (ATV^cisLALA) that mitigates TfR-related liabilities and retains effector function when bound to Aβ. Administration of ATV^cisLALA:Aβ in mice exhibited broad brain distribution and enhanced parenchymal plaque target engagement. This biodistribution reduced ARIA-like lesions and vascular inflammation. Taken together, ATV^cisLALA has the potential to improve the next generation of Aβ immunotherapy through enhanced biodistribution mediated by transport across the blood-brain barrier.