Possible cause of Alzheimer's found

A scientific study has uncovered a possible cause behind Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes memory loss symptoms.

The study used mice, and it suggests that there is a drug that could prevent the illness. The drug currently being investigated is found in human clinical trials to treat cancer.

The research was conducted by Duke University in America, and their findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience. What they found is considered surprising, because it contradicts all current thoughts on the disease itself.

The research suggests that the mice with Alzheimer’s immune cells that protect the brain start to consume arginine, an important nutrient.

By blocking the consumption process using the drug difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), scientists were able to prevent memory loss and a build up of brain plaques.

The mice used in the study had their genes swapped to imitate that of a human’s.

The reason why the findings are surprising is that the suppression of the immune system is not what people have been thinking is happening in Alzheimer’s.

The mice that were given DFMO were found to perform better during memory tests. It suggests that if you could block the process of amino acid deprivation then you could in tern protect the person from Alzheimer’s disease.