Follicle-Stimulating Hormone's Role in Alzheimer Disease, in Mice

The incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is particularly high in older women, as are levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This observation led investigators to wonder whether blocking the action of FSH might be beneficial. In mouse models of AD, ovariectomy (with its associated sharp rise in FSH level) promptly increases the degree of deposition of both β-amyloid and tau, which are cardinal pathologic features of AD.

Following ovariectomy in mice, the researchers administered a monoclonal antibody that blocked the action of FSH. The antibody reduced deposition of both β-amyloid and tau in the brain and protected against cognitive decline. The mechanism for this effect is that blocking FSH also blocks an enzyme that causes accumulatio…