Scripps Finds STING Switch Fuels Alzheimer Inflammation
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- Scripps Research discovered that S‑nitrosylation of the STING protein hyper‑activates brain immune cells, causing chronic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Mouse models of Alzheimer’s showed that preventing STING S‑nitrosylation lowered neuroinflammation and preserved synaptic connections.
- Human Alzheimer’s brain samples and stem‑cell‑derived neuronal models displayed the same STING S‑nitrosylation pattern, confirming relevance to patients.
- Stuart Lipton called the pathway a “new therapeutic target” after publishing the findings in Cell Chemical Biology.
- S‑nitrosylation, a chemical modification first described by Lipton three decades ago, is linked to aging, pollution exposure, and other inflammatory triggers.
Why it matters: Blocking the STING S‑nitrosylation switch creates a concrete therapeutic target, giving biotech firms a fresh drug development avenue while offering Alzheimer’s patients a potential disease‑modifying treatment.
