This research was primarily done at John's Hopkins in Baltimore and funded by NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.20.655147v1....

Editor's summary:

> Synaptic connections mediate classical intercellular communication in the brain. However, recent data have demonstrated the existence of noncanonical routes of interneuronal communication mediating the transport of materials including calcium, mitochondria, and pathogenic proteins such as amyloid beta (Aβ). Using super-resolution and electron microscopy, Chang et al. identified and characterized structures called nanotubular bridges that connect dendrites in the brain (see the Perspective by Budinger and Heneka). These bridges mediate the transport of calcium ions, small molecules, and Aβ peptides, and may contribute to the spreading and accumulation of pathological Aβ in Alzheimer’s disease. —Mattia Maroso