# Beijing team builds AD12 cell line and screens 16 alkaloids; aconite extract eased symptoms in 5xFAD mice

- Published: 2026-11-12 19:19 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: Alzheimer's disease drug screening, AD12 cell line, LPS neuroinflammation model, benzoylaconitine, aconite alkaloids, 5xFAD mice, amyloid-β 1-42, interleukin-6, metabolomics, traditional Chinese medicine
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-1eb6e6dd2dad1b9e8845ec8c_beijing_team_builds/

**Researchers at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences built an Alzheimer's cell model and screening scheme. Benzoylaconitine lowered Aβ 1-42 and IL-6 in cells; aconite extract was tested in mice.**

![Beijing team builds AD12 cell line and screens 16 alkaloids; aconite extract eased symptoms in 5xFAD mice](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/bbdfc96ff439668a.jpg)
*Syed Sajidul Islam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

A team from the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (Beijing), led by Haiyu Zhao and Xiaolu Wei, has described a stepwise strategy for finding anti-Alzheimer's compounds. The work was published in Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine; the authors report a new cell line, a screen of 16 alkaloids and a test in transgenic mice [1]. All results are preclinical: cell cultures and mice.

## Cell model and alkaloid screen

The authors note that existing cell models for drug screening mostly rely on single-gene transfection and do not reproduce the complex pathology of the disease. Transgenic animals mimic it better but are slow, costly and variable between individuals [1].

The team used lentiviral transfection to create a U251MG cell line stably expressing the APP695/PS1-ΔE9 double transgene and named it AD12. The cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which induced neuroinflammation: levels of interleukin-6, amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ 1-42) and PS1 rose. Metabolomic analysis showed that the main affected pathways were alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and arginine biosynthesis [1].

Sixteen alkaloids derived from traditional Chinese medicine were screened in the LPS-AD12 model. Benzoylaconitine (BAC) significantly reduced Aβ 1-42 and interleukin-6. Molecular docking indicated strong binding of BAC to APP and PS1 proteins [1].

## Targeted metabolomics and tests in 5xFAD mice

Targeted metabolomics of amino acids and the tricarboxylic acid cycle in BAC-treated cells linked its activity mainly to anti-inflammatory effects, modulation of cholinergic signaling and regulation of energy metabolism, according to the authors [1].

Aconite extract was then given to 5xFAD transgenic mice. Behavioral tests and immunofluorescence of brain tissue (Aβ, glial fibrillary acidic protein and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1) showed, the authors report, that the extract significantly alleviated Alzheimer's-related symptoms. Serine, acetylcholine, ornithine and gamma-aminobutyric acid showed consistent trends in both brain tissue and serum of treated animals [1].

The authors conclude that the AD12 model and LPS-based screen are a reliable system and propose a pipeline of cell model construction, evaluation of individual compounds and identification of effective component groups. They state that it may speed up the search for anti-Alzheimer's agents and serve as a framework for developing drugs from traditional Chinese medicine [1].

## Sources

1. [Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine](https://doi.org/10.1097/st9.0000000000000100)
2. [EurekAlert](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1151240)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-1eb6e6dd2dad1b9e8845ec8c_beijing_team_builds/