Treatment of Alzheimer's - scientific breakthrough!

A scientific breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research could prevent 100,000 from developing the disease.

New genes linked to the disease have been discovered for the first time in 15 years following the largest study of its kind by researchers from Britain and France.

Three new genes have been discovered in the breakthrough, the first since the APOE gene was discovered more than ten years ago. The discovery was said to be a “leap forward” in the battle to find effective treatments for dementia.

According to the researchers the new genes are common in the population, with up to 40 per cent having at least a part of one of them. Thus, if their effects could be prevented, around 20 per cent of cases could be prevented, helping 100,000 to avoid Alzheimer’s.

As some of the genes were linked to inflammation of the brain, it opened up the possibility that existing drugs could be used, but other genes meant that new drugs would need to be developed.

Genetic screening could help identify patients that are at risk from the genes. It is thought that 80 per cent of the risk of Alzheimer’s is due to genetics.

The research was hailed as changing the way we understand the disease and could lead to new treatments.

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