When my grandfather died of cancer, it wasn't the ravages of the cancer that horrified me the most. It was the fact that Alzheimer's Disease had already quietly stolen the last oppurtunity for me to be meaningfully there for him. It erroded a sense of his dignity. I have since feared AD more than cancer because I felt, try as I may, it indirectly and significantly affected my precious memories of a loved one. This disease has affected so many people directly and has a wide radius of impact with long lasting effects.
So today when the ABC News reported this paper from Gerhard Leinenga and Jürgen Götz I was happy to realise 3 things.
Firstly that they have succeeded in treating AD in mice by using ultrasonic therapy to remove toxic amyloid beta protein build ups. It is a non-drug/invasive-surgery therapy which makes it more likely that the vunerable can survive a potential treatment.
Secondly that there is scientific evidence to establish that amyloid beta protein build ups are one of the links in the chain of causes in AD. A named enemy is one humans are best equiped to fight.
Lastly that AD is the cause of 50-60% of all dementia cases. This means that there is a good chance there will be a treatment for half of all dementia cases in the near future. Science bitches.