Can Menstrual Stem Cells Help Treat Alzheimer’s? A Promising New Therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and have been shown to improve pathology, spatial memory, and cognitive function. Amyloid beta plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles made of tau proteins are thought to be the main contributors to neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies show that MSCs derived from menstrual blood (MenSCs) are highly proliferative, multipotent, and more safely and simply obtained compared to other MSC types, such as from bone marrow or umbilical cords, making them a promising candidate for therapeutic use.

In a study that utilized intracerebral transplantation of MenSCs, significant improvements in the spatial learning and memory of mice were observed. Additionally, MenSCs demonstrated amyloid-beta degrading and anti-inflammatory impacts while stimulating microglial activation. Although activated microglia phenotypes can result in toxic or beneficial effects in Alzheimer’s, MenSCs decreased proinflammatory factors and led to the alternative phenotype rather than neurotoxic phenotype in mice. This novel approach to treatment of Alzheimer’s disease highlights the benefits of using menstruation-derived stem cells and alludes to possible use in other neurodegenerative models. 

Sources: 

Zhao, Y., et al. (2018). Transplantation of Human Menstrual Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviates Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice. Frontiers in molecular neuroscience