New Hope for Alzheimer's Research?

'Between 2002 and 2012, 99.6% of drug studies aimed at preventing, curing or improving Alzheimer's symptoms were either halted or discontinued.'

A staggering quote from this Guardian article:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/15/alzheimers-disease-cause-study-caveats-aside-findings-encouraging.

The author explains how researchers are finally realising that they have made an appalling mistake in concentrating, to the exclusion of almost everything else, on trying to find drugs that would remove beta-amyloid plaques from the brains of people with the disease. This turns out to have been possibly the biggest, most expensive and most pointless wild goose-chase in the history of medical research.

There is also a summary of the recently-reported research which suggests a different approach to treatment or cure which looks promising and even opens up the possibility that lost memories may one day be regained.

A breath of fresh air!

On of those more complex posts. I'm afraid.....

....but give it a go.  I'm not for one moment claiming to understand it properly, but I am excited by what it appears to suggest.  The researchers believe that they have found why some people with significant plaques and tangles in their brains do not develop dementia (see nuns study).

Note also the first comment at the end of the main article where the writer states as if it is well known that:  'A sizable proportion of elderly individuals with substantial AD pathology does not appear to progress to dementia...'  You would not think it was well-known judging by the number of times 'the causes of dementia' are discussed without this key fact being mentioned.

Perhaps there is some research hidden away somewhere that explains why some people who have few or no plaques and tangles do develop dementia (i.e. the other side of the nuns study coin)?

Here is the link:
http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/no-rest-weary-neurons-protective-factor-stems-cognitive-decline?utm_source=Alzforum+Newsletter+03%2F24%2F2014&utm_campaign=Alzforum+Newsletter+3%2F24%2F14&utm_medium=email

I would welcome comments, particularly from any researchers.

The most widely read posts on Adventures with Dementia

I thought readers, particularly new ones, might find this list useful:

Cameron: 'It's a disease!'

More about HSV1 and beta amyloid

More about the possible relationship between the Herpes Virus and Altzheimer's Disease

A Herpes Vaccine may help

Now this could be a bit of a breakthrough

More about HSV 1 and beta amyloid

This blog post is another clear explanation of the possible (likely?) link between the Herpes virus and many cases of Alzheimer's. It also clarifies the uncertainties about whether beta amyloid is a cause of, or a reaction to, the disease.