ST. LOUIS – Some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may be reversible, suggests new research from Washington University.
In experiments with mice, a team of researchers led by Robert P. Brendza and Dr. David Holtzman found that removing some of the brain-damaging plaques associated with the disease reduced swelling in nerve fibers. The discovery is the first evidence that some types of nerve damage caused by the disease can be undone, researchers say.
The result is probably good news for Alzheimer’s disease patients and their families. It may mean that new drugs and therapies to halt or reduce build-up of plaques could improve some disease symptoms.
About 4.5 million people in the United States have the debilitating memory-robbing disease, and the number is expected to grow as the population ages.
