Amyloid beta's antimicrobial properties protect elderly mice from succumbing to infection with the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

These data support the idea that the Aβ could be beneficial as we age. Current work is focused on whether Aβ is toxic to T.gondii or if, as seen in viruses, Aβ traps the pathogen, making it more vulnerable to clearance by the immune system. Future work will include examining how Aβ impacts the functions of the immune system and how pathogens like T.gondii may have evolved ways to subvert the antimicrobial actions of Aβ.