Exploiting meningeal lymphatics to reduce amyloid plaques; plus prime editing to correct DMD mutations and UCSF’s animal data for Gilead’s synNotch CAR Ts

An article published in Nature showcases the potential of IP from  University of Virginia, which PureTech Health plc (LSE:PRTC; NASDAQ:PRTC) has exclusively licensed, for enhancing meningeal lymphatic vasculature in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. A team led by PureTech collaborator Jonathan Kipnis showed in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s that CSF injection of an AAV vector expressing VEGF-C plus systemic administration of two anti-amyloid mAbs — mouse analogs of Aduhelm aducanumab and lecanemab (BAN2401) — led to improved plaque clearance. The findings build on a 2015 discovery from Kipnis that overturned a long-standing dogma around immune privilege by showing the brain contains a lymphatic network.

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Eisai Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4523) are partnered on Aduhelm and lecanemab...