A weekly recap of the latest news about Alzheimer’s and dementia

By Staff Blogger/ June, 2019

 

Alzheimer’s Orange County compiles a weekly roundup of the latest news stories and developments about Alzheimer’s and dementia to keep you updated on what’s happening locally and all around the world. Check out this week’s headlines below:

 

Pfizer had clues its blockbuster drug could prevent Alzheimer’s. Why didn’t it tell the world?

This week, a source of controversy opened up in the pharmaceutical world when it was revealed that Pfizer, a U.S. drug company, had made a potentially groundbreaking discovery in 2015. Pfizer’s anti-inflammatory drug called Enbrel, originally prescribed for arthritis, was shown to possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 64 percent.

Pfizer chose not to share the results or to conduct further research to verify the drug’s potential in preventing Alzheimer’s, giving way to heated debate. The company told Washington Post that they opted not to pursue a clinical trial due to a low success rate, but many speculate that market competition also influenced this decision. Read more here.

 

5 Reasons Pfizer Sat on a Potential New Alzheimer’s Drug

This article is a good follow up to the original article about Pfizer, and presents another perspective about why the company chose not to disclose findings about its drug. Read more here.

 

Alzheimer’s Disease Protein Links Plaques to Cell Death in Mice

Medical Xpress released an article about a new protein that researchers found to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

The CAPON gene is a protein that binds to tau, a pathology in the brain that is a characteristic of Alzheimer’s. CAPON is known to be a sign of psychiatric disorders, suggesting a strong link with Alzheimer’s disease, which is often characterized by psychiatric symptoms. Scientists experimented with CAPON genes in mice, and reported “significant neurodegeneration, elevated tau, and hippocampal shrinkage.” Read more here.

 

Brush Your Teeth — Postpone Alzheimer’s

ScienceDaily has also reported some very interesting findings – researchers at the University of Bergen are exploring a connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s, suggesting that brushing your teeth and paying mind to your dental hygiene may be able to slow down the progression of the disease. Read more here.