New hope for Alzheimer's patients Can the progression of the disease be stopped?

Blocking inflammation in the brain helps prevent progressive dementia
Alzheimer's disease has far-reaching implications for those affected and their relatives. Due to the progressive loss of memory, it is becoming increasingly difficult for sufferers to follow a regular daily routine. Now there seems to be a new approach to curing this disease.

Alzheimer's patients may have reason to be friends. The memory loss and progression of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease could possibly be stopped by medication. Researchers at the University of Southampton have found that treatment with brain anti-inflammatory drugs also helps Alzheimer's patients. The results of their study, the researchers now published in the journal "Brain".

The inflammatory processes in the brain (green microglial cells) play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. (Photo: University of Southampton)

Microglial immune cells play important roles in Alzheimer's disease
British scientists found a new approach to treating the most common form of dementia. This often occurs in connection with memory loss in Alzheimer's patients, the doctors said. In their study, the researchers found that inflammation in the brain of Alzheimer's patients is not the result of the disease, but rather the progression of the disease. By blocking immune cells of the human brain with drugs normally used to treat inflammation, it seems possible to halt the progression of dementia. Studies on the brains of deceased patients and mice showed the role of a particular type of immune cell in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The so-called microglia were associated with the development of inflammation, which plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease, the experts explained in their study.

Blocking a receptor could halt Alzheimer's
The physicians have found in their current study that blocking a protein receptor causes mice to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The receptor regulates the activity of the microglia, explained the British researchers. So far, the disease was considered incurable. The new results show that inflammation in the brain of sufferers is actively involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The next step, in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry partners, is to find a suitable drug that will work for people, said co-author Diego Gomez-Nicola.