KALAMAZOO (WKZO) — A new study published by researchers at the Mayo Clinic says Alzheimer’s researchers have been looking at the wrong agent and that stirred up new hope that they might find a treatment.
There are two abnormal proteins found in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims.
Dr. Phillip Green at the Borgess Geriatric Assessment Center says for years they have focused on the Amyloid protein as the first trigger, but treatments based on that theory have had limited success. Mayo Researchers now say suppressing the Tau protein may hold the key.
He says even if that theory is correct, it could be 5 to 7 years before a treatment is available.
The director of the Mayo Research Clinic recently called for Congress to release more funding for research, which might speed up finding a treatment for this and other diseases.