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4h ago

Single-Cell Study Ties CTE to Alzheimer’s-Like Mutational Signatures

RHI-exposed brains without CTE lacked the same genomic damage.

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Research from Dr. Ann McKee of Boston University and other scientists examined the brains of people with and without CTE.
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Overview

  • The Science paper analyzed hundreds of prefrontal cortex neurons from 15 CTE cases, 4 with repetitive head impacts without CTE, 7 with Alzheimer’s, and 19 controls.
  • Researchers found stereotyped somatic mutational patterns in CTE neurons that closely resemble those seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Neurons from individuals with repetitive head impacts who did not develop CTE did not show the Alzheimer’s-like genomic changes.
  • Co-authors propose that CTE involves downstream biological processes such as immune activation that occur long after trauma, a hypothesis requiring further study.
  • The work introduces a single-cell genome approach to CTE research and reports damage levels described as equivalent to more than a century of excess aging, underscoring the need for biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.