New Alzheimer's drug clears amyloid tangles in mice

In the latest effort to find new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Lancaster in the U.K. have created a new drug that has reduced the number of senile plaques in the brain, caused by amyloid-beta protein buildup, the major hallmark of the disease. The drug was tested on transgenic mice containing two mutant human genes to imitate the effects of Alzheimer's in humans. In previous studies, antibody medications have shown moderate success at clearing these deposits, but they've caused serious brain inflammation in some patients. The new drug is designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and prevent the Aβ molecules from sticking together to form plaques. In mice, it also reduced the amount of brain inflammation and oxidative damage associated with the disease. Story | Release