Dr. Samuel Gandy: “Looking Beyond Amyloid in Alzheimer's Diseases”
Over the past 30 years, billions have been spent putting the amyloid hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease to the test. After several failed attempts at targeting pathways involved in the accumulation of this protein in the brain, researchers are acknowledging that there's probably more to the Alzheimer's picture -- that it may be something else, or some other combination of factors, that causes the neurodegeneration that leads to the disease's characteristic cognitive impairment. A quarter to a third of patients have amyloid accumulation in their brains, but no symptoms at all. This has been termed "preclinical Alzheimer's" but the course of progression, if there is one, isn't yet evident. This latter group is being studied in the A4 prevention trial, which seeks to enroll 1,000 patients age 70 and over who meet those criteria. Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, said the trial is "probably the last best hope for amyloid as key. Solanezumab and the like look unlikely to be beneficial enough after symptoms begin." Learn more
Researchers Identify the Role of an Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Gene in the Brain
Nov 30, 2022 View All Press Releases