Researchers are exploring new potential treatments targeting the enzyme PTP1B, which may play a role in memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study suggests that limiting the activity of this enzyme could help slow cognitive decline in the neurodegenerative disorder, which progressively impairs memory and thinking.
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York found that PTP1B contributes to memory decline in mice with Alzheimer’s. Their research highlights a previously unknown role of the enzyme in immune cell signalling, indicating it may be a promising target for treatment. Nicholas Tonks, the study’s corresponding author, has studied PTP1B since its discovery in 1988 and continues to investigate its implications in health and disease.
The team discovered that reducing PTP1B activity improved the function of microglia, the brain’s immune cells, enabling them to clear amyloid-β plaques—protein accumulations strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Normally responsible for removing debris in the brain, microglia become less effective as Alzheimer’s progresses. PTP1B appears to interact with spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), a protein that regulates microglial responses to damage and plaque clearance.
PTP1B is also known for its role in metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are established risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Based on these findings, the laboratory is now working to develop PTP1B inhibitors for multiple therapeutic applications. For Alzheimer’s treatment, researchers envision combining existing approved drugs, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists, with PTP1B inhibitors to slow disease progression and improve patients’ quality of life.
Globally, more than 55 million people live with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for up to 70 percent of cases, according to the World Health Organization. Tonks emphasizes the emotional impact of the disease, describing it as a “slow bereavement” in which loved ones are lost piece by piece.
