Discourse.net

Protein that removes plaque holds promise for Alzheimer’s patients

Using a protein as a sponge to absorb the toxic plaque that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients can halt symptoms and improve brain function, U.S. researchers suggest. Scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in Rochester, N.Y., performed studies on mice with a buildup of amyloid-beta, a toxic plaque that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers and damages them.

I’m not so clear if this is a cure that reverses Alzheimer’s, or “only” a preventative — a way to stop Alzheimer’s from getting worse once one is identified as susceptible. Even so, it sounds like a major advance.