Human study · Aging · 24 Sept 2026
In nearly 200 people with early Alzheimer symptoms, 34 blood proteins shifted during lecanemab therapy
Source: Washington University / EurekAlert
What the research found
Study (clinical cohort). Rui Mu, Suzanne Schindler, Carlos Cruchaga, and colleagues at Washington University report in Lancet Neurol. (doi 10.1016/S1474-4422(26)00284-X; EurekAlert 24 September 2026). Nearly 200 people with early Alzheimer symptoms and amyloid buildup received lecanemab infusions every two weeks for up to two years at one high-volume clinic. Blood was drawn about every six months. The team measured 130 plasma proteins. Thirty-four changed during therapy. Several Alzheimer-related markers, including phosphorylated tau, moved back toward levels seen in 458 people with no cognitive impairment and no amyloid buildup. Inflammatory proteins rose, which the authors read as microglia clearing amyloid, and those rises did not track faster cognitive decline. A comparison group of 1,312 people with cognitive impairment who were not on this therapy was also included. The authors say a blood panel, if later validated, might help judge how long therapy should continue. It does not restore memory, and brain scans are still the check used now. Age and sex were not given in the release. Educational notes. Not a suggestion to start or stop therapy.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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