Reversing Alzheimer's disease

KRGG mid Missouri
BACKGROUND: The possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a scary thought for many. Alzheimer's sneaks up on patients and their families, destroying the memories of more than half of all people in the United States over age 85. There are currently two classes of medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat AD, including acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors and glutamate inhibitors, which may be used together or alone. The drugs are designed to treat the symptoms of AD and other factors that may be contributing to memory loss, but they cannot reverse the condition.

A NEW ALZHEIMER'S DRUG? A phase 3 trial of the drug bapineuzumab, a humanized, monoclonal antibody, is currently underway and is providing hope that AD can be not just slowed, but actually reversed. The therapeutic antibody works by binding to and clearing beta-amyloid, an abnormal protein in the brain associated with AD. Specifically, it targets amyloid-beta-42...read the whole article