Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40665471›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2025

Focused ultrasound-mediated APOE4 knockdown in mouse brain.

Kaiyuan Zheng, Fotios N Tsitsos, Alec J Batts, Robin Ji, Tal Nuriel, Elisa E Konofagou, Kam W Leong

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Focused ultrasound-mediated APOE4 knockdown in mouse brain.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Kaiyuan ZhengDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Fotios N TsitsosDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Alec J BattsDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Robin JiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Tal NurielDepartment of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Elisa E KonofagouDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Kam W LeongDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.

Funding

Tumor Biology and Microenvironment ProgramP30CA013696 · NCI · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · PI Katherine D Crew · 1985 to 2026
$115.3M
Assessment of Ultrsound-facilitated Neurotherapeutics in Alzheimer's DiseaseR01AG038961 · NIA · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · PI KONOFAGOU, ELISA E. · 2011 to 2020
$5.1M
Optimization of ultrasound-facilitated blood-brain barrier openingR01EB009041 · NIBIB · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · PI KONOFAGOU, ELISA E. · 2008 to 2017
$4.4M
Focused Ultrasound-mediated Delivery of Gene-editing Elements to the Brain for Neurodegenerative DisordersUG3NS115598 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI LEONG, KAM W · 2019 to 2021
$2.3M
Assessment of ultrasound-facilitated neurotherapeutics in Alzheimer's diseaseR56AG038961 · NIA · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI KONOFAGOU, ELISA E. · 2023 to 2024
$1.6M
Focused Ultrasound FoundationNCI NIH HHS P30 CA013696NIA NIH HHS R01 AG038961NIA NIH HHS R56 AG038961NIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB009041NIH SCGE Program R01AG038961NIH SCGE Program R01EB009041NIH SCGE Program R56AG038961NIH SCGE Program UG3NS115598NINDS NIH HHS UG3 NS115598Onassis Foundation F ZT 072-1/2023-2024
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is widely recognized as the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Therapeutic strategies to reduce apoE4 expression in APOE ε4 carriers hold promise to mitigate neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes driving disease progression.

methodsFocused ultrasound (FUS) was employed to transiently open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for efficient knockdown of humanized APOE ε4 in the mouse brain via gene editing. The all-in-one clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors were administered intravenously at a dose of 1.5×10

resultsFUS-enhanced delivery of AAV resulted in a 12.6% knockdown of APOE ε4 gene expression in the targeted hippocampus, accompanied by an over 20% decrease in apoE4 protein levels and significant reductions in astrocyte and microglia levels. DISCUSSION: Our findings demonstrate a noninvasive, targeted approach for APOE ε4 knockdown, highlighting FUS-mediated brain-directed interventions as a promising therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease. HIGHLIGHTS: Focused ultrasound (FUS) enables noninvasive, transient blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening for enhanced adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery. FUS-mediated gene editing achieves a 12.6% knockdown in APOE ε4 expression within the hippocampus of mouse brain. APOE ε4 knockdown significantly reduces apoE4 protein levels and astrocyte and microglia levels. No detectable gross toxicity was observed following the FUS-mediated gene editing.

Indexed as

Apolipoprotein E4BrainGene EditingGene Knockdown TechniquesHippocampusAnimalsBlood-Brain BarrierDependovirusGenetic VectorsHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLApolipoprotein E4Alzheimer's diseaseAPOE ε4blood–brain barrier openingCRISPR‐Cas9 gene editingfocused ultrasound

Identifiers

PMID40665471
PMCPMC12263348

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.