Aberrant ERBB4 in Excitatory Neurons Identified as Key Driver of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology  

A research team led by Associate Director Won-Suk Chung has identified a previously unrecognized driver of Alzheimer's disease (AD): the abnormal expression of the ERBB4 receptor in excitatory neurons, a cell type where this protein is not normally found.

Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing in AD mouse models, the team discovered a distinct population of "early-responsive excitatory neurons" (EREN) marked by ectopic ERBB4 expression—one of the earliest detectable changes during disease progression. Deleting Erbb4 in these neurons reversed hallmark AD features, including abnormal neural activity, synapse loss, glial inflammation, amyloid plaque buildup, and cognitive deficits. Conversely, artificially inducing ERBB4 in healthy neurons was sufficient to trigger these same AD-like changes, even without amyloid plaques.

The team further showed that this effect depends on mTOR signaling downstream of ERBB4, and that the same pathway is active in human AD brain tissue, where it correlates with amyloid burden and cognitive decline.

The findings, published in Nature, point to excitatory neuronal ERBB4 as a promising therapeutic target across Alzheimer's and related neurodegenerative diseases.

Read the full paper: Aberrant excitatory neuronal ERBB4 promotes Alzheimer's disease pathology, Nature (2026)

Associate Director Won-Suk Chung has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Samsung Science & Technology Award in Life Sciences

Associate Director of our Center, Prof. Won-Suk Chung, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Samsung Science & Technology Award in Life Sciences, presented at the Samsung Science & Technology Annual Forum on November 5, 2026. Established this year, the award recognizes outstanding researchers whose pioneering discoveries have advanced fundamental science and opened new directions for future research. Following a rigorous evaluation of 644 completed research projects supported by the Samsung Science & Technology Foundation, only 10 researchers were selected across 10 scientific and technological fields, with Prof. Chung being the sole recipient in Life Sciences. This prestigious recognition honors his discoveries revealing the fundamental roles of astrocytes in maintaining brain homeostasis, particularly through synapse elimination, and their implications for sleep, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. His research has established new conceptual frameworks for understanding brain function and dysfunction, opening promising avenues for therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.

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