Alzheimer’s disease is caused by immune cells in the brain triggered by inflammation, according to a breakthrough discovery.
The new research could lead to the development of a drug that treats or even prevents the condition within five years, say scientists.
Experiments found destroying specific cells – known as microglia – reduced the formation of clumps of amyloid beta that form in Alzheimer’s and destroy memory.
These are the rogue proteins believed to lie at the root of the devastating neurological illness.
Human trials of all therapies have failed in the past. Most have targeted the amyloid plaques that build up in the brains of patients.
The German team say the breakthrough is exciting as it sheds fresh light on a classic hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
