In animal models and patient-derived neurons, terazosin elevated ATP and warded off neurodegeneration. Men who take the drug to control prostate hyperplasia are less likely to get PD, or have milder symptoms.
A chemist at the University of Cambridge, Dobson developed equations that described the kinetics of protein aggregation in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
In induced human microglia, the E4 allele profoundly affected their health and cellular responses, while familial Alzheimer’s mutations had little effect.
The Phase 2 study missed its primary endpoint. While fewer developed dementia in the treatment group, the effect was not statistically significant. People on drug had less brain atrophy than those on placebo.
The pattern varied from person to person, depending on the site of injury, in contrast to the stereotyped distribution of tau tangles seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Eliminating microglia in a mouse model of amyloidosis nearly abolished parenchymal plaques, but led to a huge buildup of amyloid in cerebral blood vessels.
Smartphones and gamified apps move cognitive testing from the lab into the real world. But keeping people engaged remains a problem. Is passive monitoring the answer?