Alzheimer’s treatment is advancing fast — and there is one thing we can all do to help
Alzheimer's treatment is changing rapidly: drugs that can slow the progression of the disease have already been approved, and scientists are developing new methods of diagnosis and therapy.
Gurban Gurbanzadeh3 min read
Treatment for Alzheimer's disease has changed substantially over the past few years: the drugs lecanemab and donanemab can slow cognitive decline in some patients, while new blood tests help detect signs of the disease earlier. Experts believe research is gradually moving toward several possible mechanisms of the disease.
In 2023, lecanemab, sold as Leqembi, and donanemab, sold as Kisunla, were approved. Both drugs are given intravenously and act on amyloid plaques in the brain. They are intended for people with mild cognitive impairment and do not stop the disease completely. The risks of treatment include serious side effects, including brain hemorrhages.
"The diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease have changed dramatically compared with, say, four or five years ago," said Dr. Jason Karlawish, co-director of the Penn Memory Center.
Researchers are simultaneously studying other targets. In addition to amyloid, more and more attention is being paid to the tau protein and inflammation. Drugs targeting tau are undergoing clinical trials, while new anti-amyloid agents are being developed with the aim of penetrating the blood-brain barrier more effectively.
Early detection is becoming especially important, since existing drugs are most applicable in the early stages. Scientists are developing blood tests to detect tau and assess the risk of subsequent progression of the disease. Research is also examining periods of life when risk may increase and when intervention could prove more effective.
A separate line of research concerns GLP-1 class drugs. Studies have not yet shown a noticeable slowing of the disease in people who have already developed cognitive impairment. At the same time, scientists are studying the possibility of a preventive effect of such drugs through their influence on inflammation, weight, metabolism and vascular health.
Professor Tara Spires-Jones of the University of Edinburgh believes that in the coming years more significant results may be associated with treatments capable of more strongly slowing or halting the progression of the disease. According to her, methods that would restore already lost brain function are still a long way off.
The prospects for research will also depend on funding for science. Karlawish expressed concern that the politicization of the grant-making process could make it harder to conduct research. At the same time, official documents from the National Institute on Aging indicate that funding for research into Alzheimer's disease and related dementias continues, including additional funds for such research under NIH funding for fiscal year 2026.
Source: vox.com
