Medicine & Health

WashU Medicine researchers have found in mice that blocking immune cells in the body’s lymph nodes significantly reduces neurodegeneration. The discovery reveals a previously unsuspected pathway that could potentially halt or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and related diseases.

WashU Medicine researchers led by Michael E. Belloy (left), an assistant professor of neurology and of psychiatry, identified key genetic targets for potential Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics development.

The biomarker test, called PrecivityAD2, was developed from technology invented at WashU Medicine by Randall J. Bateman, MD, and David M. Holtzman, MD.

WashU Medicine researchers Randall J. Bateman, MD, and Kanta Horie, PhD, received the 2026 Jeffrey L. Morby Prize from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for developing a blood test that detects and stages Alzheimer’s by measuring toxic proteins in the brain.

WashU Medicine researchers and collaborators discovered three new chromosomal locations that may be connected to earlier disease onset or faster disease progression in dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease, pointing to new directions for Alzheimer’s research.

C-BRAIN, the consortium co-founded by WashU Medicine and directed by neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, brings together members from academia, major pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic organizations.

Researchers at WashU Medicine and the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center led the development of a scalable platform that links research, real-world patient data and genetic data to uncover new insights into Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, prevention and care.

Celeste Karch was recognized for pioneering Alzheimer’s research, advancing stem cell, genomic and collaborative neurodegeneration studies.

WashU Medicine researchers Randall J. Bateman, MD, and David M. Holtzman, MD, were honored for their work developing diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease with the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2026 American Innovator Award.

A tool developed by WashU Medicine researchers can accurately distinguish among several major neurodegenerative diseases — including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies — as well as detect when these conditions overlap, potentially improving early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment.