First-in-human study of blood amyloid β removal from early Alzheimer's disease patients with normal kidney function.

Abstract

Amyloid β (Aβ) is a brain protein that causes Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to verify whether hemadsorption using a hexadecyl-alkylated cellulose bead (HexDC) column removes blood Aβ and brain Aβ accumulation in mild cognitive impairment/mild AD cases with normal kidney function. Two patients with positive Aβ on brain imaging underwent HexDC hemadsorption weekly for 6 months. The Aβ removal efficiency of HexDC was 87-99%. Aβ1-40 /Aβ1-42 influx into the blood in one session was 596/56 and 489/48 ng for Case A and Case B, respectively. Although brain Aβ accumulation did not clearly change after 6 months of hemadsorption, cognitive functions measured by the two tests were maintained or slightly improved. Blood Aβ removal was performed in two early AD patients with normal kidney function without adverse events, and it slightly improved or maintained cognitive function.