Improving brain blood flow in Alzheimer's disease is focus of UM researchers' study: "Major stepping stone"
In a new study that could have significant implications for future Alzheimer's treatment, researchers at the University of Miami have successfully figured out how to combat one of the early signs of the neurodegenerative disease.
In the study published in the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association in December 2025 — "Systemic Piezo1 activation improves cerebrovascular function in Alzheimer's disease" — two Ph.D. students in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology conducted research that could help trailblaze more effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and "perhaps even leading to a cure for the memory-robbing disorder that affects more than 7 million adults in the U.S.," UM shared on Thursday.
By using a mouse model with Alzheimer's, researchers Supriya Chakraborty and Zeynad Tabrizi found that activating Piezo1 — a mechanosensitive ion channel that is functionally expressed in blood vessels — improved microvascular flow and neurovascular coupling in the mouse model.
According to the research duo, reduced blood flow and impaired vascular responses in the brain are early features of Alzheimer's and contribute to the disease's progression.
"While our study was able to improve and actually restore such functions in a mouse model with the disease, we believe such a method may hold great promise as a therapeutic strategy for humans," Tabrizi said.
Additionally, the researchers employed the pharmacological activation of Piezo1 to improve functional hyperemia -- the localized increase of blood flow to a specific tissue or organ, such as the brain or muscles, in response to increased metabolic activity or function.
"It's another major stepping stone in the race to solve the mystery of Alzheimer's," Chakraborty said. "But, further investigation is needed, which is our goal.
Different scientific disciplines crossing paths to achieve one goal
According to UM, Chakraborty might have been studying insects in a lab had it not been for an immunology college instructor in India who taught him about the "superheroes" inside him: immunity cells.
"That really fascinated me," he said. "My focus shifted from entomology to wanting to solve illnesses that affect humans, specifically neurodegenerative disorders."
Meanwhile, Tabrizi took a different path to studying conditions that damage and destroy parts of the human nervous system. She had long been a student of immunology and neuroscience in her home country of Iran, researching the causes of disorders like schizophrenia and autism, UM said.
"I had some experience working in the industry," Tabrizi said. "But, my heart was in academia."
For Tabrizi, the study came on the heels of other dementia-related research she conducted at UM. While working with former Department of Biology neuroscientist Oliver Bracko, she investigated how the immune system may factor in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. In the research, she focused on neutrophils — a type of white blood cell — that in previous studies she conducted showed to block blood vessels and contribute to blood flow reduction to the brain in mouse models.
"Alzheimer's is a disease that not only affects the patient but also family members, who are often the ones who end up caregiving for a loved one with the disorder," Tabrizi said. "So, our work will aid people on all fronts of battling the disease."