Massive breakthrough in Alzheimer's - new drugs possible within a few years

[MelmothTheLost]

Alzheimer's 'world first' as scientists discover how to destroy toxic particles in the brain that lead to the memory-robbing disorder

An Alzheimer's 'world first' breakthrough could target the cause of the disease and lead to a new generation of drugs that could be in clinical trials in two years.

Cambridge University scientists along with a team in Sweden have discovered a new way to target the toxic particles that destroy healthy brain cells.

Decades worth of scientific trials have so far failed to find a cure for the memory-robbing disorder - the most common form of dementia.

Professor Michele Vendruscolo, of Cambridge, said: 'All the previous clinical trials that have focused on finding drugs to modify the disease have failed.

Alzheimer's 'world first' as scientists discover how to destroy toxic particles | Daily Mail Online

 

[DexterMorgan]

Per above article.

As the pathogens have now been identified as small clumps of proteins known as oligomers, we have been able to develop a strategy to aim drugs at these toxic particles.

'This approach enables a new drug discovery strategy.

'This is the first time that a systematic method to go after the pathogens, the cause of Alzheimer's disease, has been proposed.'

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I so hope this is true and real and imminent. I lost both my grandmas to Alzheimers and it was awful watching them deteriorate, indeed it has made me staunchly pro-euthanasia.

On a non-personal level this country, in fact the world, is screwed if we continue to live longer but with dementia. I shall be buying myself a one-way ticket to Switzerland if it happens to me.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The doctors have already sat me down with my family to explain what’s happening to me. I’m holding on as long as I can.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

The doctors have already sat me down with my family to explain what’s happening to me. I’m holding on as long as I can.

I hope that's a looong time, imstilla.grandma. My two experiences were very different but the endings were the same. Had either of my grandmas had the choice, before things got bad, they'd absolutely have taken it.

These drugs sounds very promising, hoping they can get trials started as soon as possible and put an end to this illness.

 

[whatsnext]

I really do hope that this will be a breakthrough in fighting Alzheimer and similar deseases. There has been alot of progress lately, but we still seem to know so little about the human brain.
Any type of dementia is a cruel thing to deal with, it slowly eats the soul and personality of the patient.