Researchers have identified a new potential weapon against Alzheimer's: blocking a protein called PTP1B. In mice, this approach boosted memory function and helped the brain's immune cells (microglia) clear harmful amyloid plaque buildup more effectively. Because PTP1B is also linked to diabetes and obesity, existing drugs that target it may be candidates for repurposing — potentially shortening the path to human trials significantly.
The most recent research and coverage from trusted free sources.
A large long-term study found that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily was associated with significantly lower dementia risk, especially in adults under 75. Researchers suggest caffeine may help keep brain cells active while reducing neuroinflammation — though scientists caution the findings are associative, not causal.
A study in Nature Medicine identified DDC — a protein involved in dopamine production — as a promising blood-based biomarker that could help diagnose Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia earlier and more reliably than current clinical methods, potentially reducing the years-long misdiagnosis journey many families experience.
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that malfunctioning mitochondria — the cell's energy generators — may directly cause cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, opening a new avenue for treatment that targets cellular energy systems rather than amyloid plaques alone.
Scientists at the New Mexico VA Health Care System discovered that inhaled pulses of carbon dioxide at precise intervals can help the brain flush unwanted proteins and waste — a potential low-impact treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease that is now being developed into a prototype wearable device for veterans and the public.
A PBS NewsHour report highlights growing evidence that Parkinson's disease presents differently in women than men, with women more likely to experience depression, fatigue, and pain as early symptoms rather than the classic tremor — leading to later diagnoses and delayed treatment that affects quality of life outcomes.
Research and policy news from April.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that tubulin — a structural protein inside brain cells — actively steers Tau and alpha-synuclein proteins away from toxic aggregation and toward healthy function. The finding, published in Nature Communications, points toward a promising new therapeutic strategy for both diseases.
Researchers studying a rare group of adults over 80 with exceptional memory found they have significantly more neurons in a specific brain region and lower levels of Alzheimer's-related tangles than typical older adults — findings that may reveal new targets for slowing cognitive decline in the wider population.
New evidence shows the protein alpha-synuclein — long associated primarily with Parkinson's — appears across the majority of neurodegenerative disease cases, raising fundamental questions about how Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Lewy Body Dementia are classified and how future biomarker tests should be designed.
A large study found that people who regularly engaged in cognitive activities throughout their lives — reading, writing, learning new skills — showed significantly lower rates of Alzheimer's disease than those who did not, supporting the concept of "cognitive reserve" as a meaningful protective factor against dementia.
Key developments from the past year that remain relevant for families today.
A large natural experiment using Welsh health records found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine showed a significant reduction in dementia diagnoses over the following seven years. Researchers believe the vaccine may help protect the brain from neuroinflammation triggered by the varicella-zoster virus. Published in Nature Medicine.
PBS NewsHour's health coverage examines the real-world rollout of lecanemab and donanemab — the two new disease-modifying Alzheimer's treatments. The report gives families a clear-eyed view of who qualifies, what the drugs can and cannot do, and the brain swelling risks that require regular MRI monitoring.
The FDA approved Vyalev in October 2024 — a continuous under-skin infusion pump that delivers levodopa-carbidopa throughout the day. Clinical trials showed patients regained nearly three hours of quality daily "on" time compared to oral medication, representing a major quality-of-life advance for advanced Parkinson's patients.
An NIH-led study in Nature Genetics identified five genes critical to Lewy Body Dementia and found LBD patients share genetic profiles with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients — helping to explain why LBD so effectively mimics both diseases and supporting a future of more targeted treatments.
One of the largest studies of exercise in Parkinson's confirms that vigorous regular physical activity significantly slows motor decline and improves quality of life — not just in early-stage patients but across all stages of the disease. The evidence now firmly places exercise alongside medication as one of the most effective interventions available.