antibody hope for alzheimer's

researchers may have just discovered a way to add countless years to the lives of alzheimer's patients. much of the dementia caused by alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by beta-amyloid plaques that "clog up" the brain and prevent normal functioning, even killing surrounding cells. researchers found that injecting antibodies into rat brains clears up a significant amount of this plaque and even allowed recovery of old brain structure.

although plaque is a symptom, not the cause, of the debilitating neurological disorder, it could fend off debilitating effects of the disease for years.

Labels: neuroscience