Brain Plaques in Mice

Last week, a news story circulated indicating that initial research has found that a cancer drug can rapidly clear brain protein plaques in mice.  In Alzheimer's patients, beta-amyloid proteins build up in the brain and kill brain cells.  A healthy brain is able to clear these proteins.  It is thought that reducing the plaques could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

The body will continue to produce the plaques.  So, any treatment will have to be recurring to be effective.  Additionally, the treatment may not work on humans and human testing will be needed to make that determination.