A pill to prevent Alzheimer's?

10th Oct 2016

A new study suggests UK researchers may be on the road to the next big discovery - a possible prevention technique for Alzheimer's disease.

Although the exact cause of Alzheimer's is still unclear, it has been accepted that accumulation of plaque in the brain contributes to the disease onset. The plaque is made up of tau, which naturally occurs as people age. After screening a number of enzymes to try understand which were associated with reduced levels of tau, scientists found that inhibiting one called Nuak1 resulted in reduced levels of plaque.

Their next step is trying to develop a drug that will inhibit Nuak1 in the hope to lower levels of tau for individuals at risk of Alzheimer's. 

To view the full article, please visit Neuron website