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Groundbreaking research suggests inhaling Xenon gas could offer a new approach to Alzheimer’s treatment, with human trials set to begin in early 2025.
In the race to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, most current treatments target the amyloid plaques and tau tangles that disrupt brain function. However, a groundbreaking study from Mass General Brigham and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis presents a novel approach—Xenon gas. This inert gas, previously used in anesthesia and neuroprotection, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, reveals that inhaling Xenon gas helped reduce brain atrophy, suppress neuroinflammation, and enhance neuronal protection in mouse models of Alzheimer’s. These exciting findings have paved the way for a Phase I clinical trial, which will begin in early 2025 with healthy volunteers.
According to Dr. Oleg Butovsky, a senior author of the study from the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), “It is a very novel discovery showing that simply inhaling an inert gas can have such a profound neuroprotective effect.” The study is especially significant because one of the main challenges in Alzheimer’s research is creating medications that can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier—a hurdle that Xenon gas easily overcomes.
Dr. David M. Holtzman, another senior author from Washington University School of Medicine, expressed excitement over the findings, saying, “It is exciting that in both animal models that model different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid pathology in one model and tau pathology in another model, that Xenon had protective effects in both situations.”
Alzheimer’s disease, which involves protein build-ups in the brain, leads to nerve cell dysfunction, brain abnormalities, and progressive cognitive decline. The role of microglia—the brain’s immune cells—is critical in regulating brain health, and their dysfunction is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. In this study, Xenon gas inhalation modulated microglial activity, clearing amyloid deposits and improving cognition in the animal models.
The clinical trial at BWH will begin with healthy volunteers and will focus on safety and dosage. As the trial progresses, the research team hopes to expand the scope of their studies to explore Xenon’s potential in treating other neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dr. Howard Weiner, co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at BWH, emphasized the vast potential of Xenon gas as a therapeutic tool, noting, “If the clinical trial goes well, the opportunities for the use of Xenon gas are great. It could open the door to new treatments for helping patients with neurologic diseases.”
As the clinical trial moves forward, researchers are also exploring ways to enhance the efficiency of Xenon gas delivery and investigate its broader applications for neurological diseases.
For more information on the study, visit Science Translational Medicine or access the full research article here.
Source: Wesley Nogueira Brandao et al, Inhaled Xenon Modulates Microglia and Ameliorates Disease in Mouse Models of Amyloidosis and Tauopathy, Science Translational Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk3690.
