Beyond Plaques and Tangles: Scientists Discover Key to Halting Brain Damage in Alzheimer’s

Researchers at KU Leuven and VIB have uncovered a biochemical process, necroptosis, responsible for nerve cell death in Alzheimer’s disease, particularly related to tau protein. Using specific inhibitors prevented nerve cell loss and improved memory in mouse models, suggesting a new path for Alzheimer’s therapies beyond amyloid plaque removal. The findings open up new research avenues in the search for therapies that could halt or prevent the accumulation of brain damage occurring in Alzheimer’s.