New Protein Discovery could help develop Treatment for Alzheimer’s

Scientists have revealed through a study that collection of abnormal tau protein in the brain is the main cause of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid is another protein which accumulates in the brain, but it is not the main cause behind the diseases which causes significant memory loss.

According to researchers, they can curb the onset of the disease by targeting tau. For the study, the researchers analyzed 1,375 brains of deceased Alzheimer's patients in the Mayo Clinic's brain bank.

Biogen, a Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech company, is also developing a drug to treat early stage Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is currently the plight of nearly 5.3 million Americans. The drug aducanumab could help the patients to live for some more years. It acts as a monoclonal antibody and has produced promising results in early tests on those with early stage Alzheimer's disease.

The drug has efficacy of reducing the amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Also, it reduces cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer's.

The company behind the drug now wants to conduct a big trial to confirm the efficacy of the drug to treat people at risk of Alzheimer's.

On the other hand, the discovery surrounding tau protein buildup in the brain as the main cause of Alzheimer's has also opened doors for researchers to develop treatments to help at-risk patients stay protected from the disease.