With more than 300,000 people living with dementia in Australia alone, news of a cure falls on welcome ears worldwide.
Research out of Great Britain suggests that a revolutionary drug, which is to be tested in hospitals in the UK, may hold the key to treating Alzheimer’s disease – once and for all.
The wunderdrug, aducanumab, is said to contain an antibody that targets a protein called amyloid, which, for people with Alzheimer’s, clogs the brain.
The initial study was conducted on a small group, and while it garnered astounding results (participants of the study found that after being given a high monthly dosage of aducanumab, the amyloid in their system all but disappeared), researchers will be trialling the drug, on a bigger group of 2,700 people, until 2020.
The only challenge is that aducanumab treatment can cause fluid in the brain to accumulate, increasing the risk of stroke within those who consume it.
Still, with plenty of creases to iron out, the thought of curing this degenerative disease is an exciting one.
