Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have uncovered a built in process that can remove existing amyloid plaques from the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease while also helping preserve memory and thinking ability. The discovery centers on astrocytes, star shaped support cells in the brain, which can be directed to clear away the toxic plaque deposits commonly seen in Alzheimer's. The team found that increasing levels of Sox9, a protein that plays a major role in regulating astrocyte activity during aging, significantly improved these cells' ability to remove amyloid plaques. The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience , point to a potential treatment strategy that focuses on boosting the brain's own support system to slow cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disease. Astrocytes and Brain Function "Astrocytes perform diverse tasks that are essential for normal brain function, including facilitating brain communications and memory storage.…