Reprogramming lipid metabolism for cognitive restoration in Alzheimer's via PLA2G4E.

INTRODUCTION

Growing evidence implicates dysregulated brain lipid metabolism in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, influencing membrane integrity, neuroinflammation, and amyloid beta and tau pathology, thereby representing a promising therapeutic target. However, therapeutic strategies targeting lipid pathways remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

The therapeutic potential of PLA2G4E, previously identified in our earlier work, was validated in the APPNL-G-F AD mouse model using a translational gene-delivery approach with a blood-brain barrier-penetrant adeno-associated vector (AAV) (AAVP31) to achieve widespread brain expression. Brain lipidomics was performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying treatment effects.

RESULTS

PLA2G4E expression rescued memory deficits, reduced tau phosphorylation, and improved brain glucose metabolism and cognitive performance in AD models and aged wild-type mice. These effects were accompanied by partial normalization of disease-associated lipid metabolic alterations.

DISCUSSION: These findings support PLA2G4E as a promising therapeutic target in AD and provide mechanistic evidence linking modulation of lipid metabolic pathways to synaptic and cognitive rescue.