Alzheimer’s disease reversed in mice, offering hope for humans

These promising research findings center around deleting a gene that produces an enzyme called BACE1, which helps make the beta-amyloid peptides that accumulate abnormally in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that stopping or reducing that enzyme’s activity dramatically reduces production of beta-amyloid peptides, which are toxic to the brain and lead to the symptoms — including memory loss — associated with Alzheimer’s.

By using BACE1 inhibitors to gradually lower the enzyme’s levels, researchers saw reduced neuron loss and better brain function in the mice, offering hope for human subjects down the line, according to the study.