The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer's disease is becoming more and more competitive and controversial.
The 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, may have been based on fabricated data, according to a report by Science magazine.
The FDA approved aducanumab as a treatment for Alzheimer's despite incomplete and conflicting data.
Some doctors think aducanumab shouldn't have been approved, while others think it should be given a chance.
Why are researchers still trying to find a cure for a disease that affects millions of people?
Scientists have been trying to come up with new treatments for Alzheimer's for a long time.
Scientists tend to focus almost exclusively on this approach, neglecting or even ignoring other possible explanations.
It has not translated into a useful drug or therapy. There is a need for a new way of thinking about Alzheimer's.
A new theory of Alzheimer's disease is being created in my laboratory.
We no longer think of Alzheimer's as a disease of the brain because of the research we've done. Alzheimer's is a disease of the immune system in the brain.
The immune system is a collection of cells and Molecules that help repair injuries and protect against foreign invaders.
The immune system is able to repair damaged tissues when a person trips and falls. The immune system helps in the fight against infections caused byviruses andbacteria
There are exactly the same processes in the brain. The brain's immune system is activated when there is head trauma. The immune system is able to fight back when there is a presence ofbacteria in the brain
We believe that there is a normal molecule in the brain that is part of the immune system. The place is supposed to be there.
A key contributor to the brain's immune response is the presence ofamyloid in the brain. This is where the problem starts.
There are striking similarities between the fat molecule that makes up both the membranes ofbacteria and the brain cells, and this makes it hard for beta-amyloid to distinguish between brain cells and invadingbacteria.
Our body's immune system can't distinguish between brain cells, which leads to a chronic, progressive loss of brain cell function.
Alzheimer's disease is thought to be an attack by the brain's immune system on the organ it is supposed to defend.
There are many types of autoimmune diseases in which autoantibodies play a crucial role in the development of the disease and steroid-based therapies can be effective. These therapies won't help against Alzheimer's disease.
The brain is one of the most complex structures in the universe. Our model of Alzheimer's protects and bolsters our immune system, but unfortunately, it also plays a central role in the development of Alzheimer's.
We believe that targeting other immune-regulating pathways in the brain will lead to new and effective treatment approaches for the disease.
There are many new and varied theories that are starting to appear. Some scientists think that Alzheimer's is a disease of the energy factories in brain cells.
We breathe in oxygen from the air and eat food that gives us the energy we need to remember and think.
Some people think that it is the result of a particular brain infection and thatbacteria from the mouth is to blame. The disease may be caused by an abnormal handling of metals in the brain.
It's gratifying to see new thinking about a disease that has been around for a long time. Every three seconds, a new diagnosis is made for dementia. People living with Alzheimer's disease are often unable to recognize their own children or spouses who have been with them a long time.
Alzheimer's is a public health crisis and needs innovative ideas.
We need a better understanding of Alzheimer's, its causes, and what we can do to help the people and families living with the disease.
Donald Weaver is a professor of chemistry at the University of Toronto.
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