Alzheimer's cure hopes

23 September 2015 - 02:28 By ©The Daily Telegraph

A drug brought to light by Hippocrates in the fifth century BC has raised hopes that the memory of Alzheimer's patients can be restored. Salsalate, in the same family as aspirin, was typically used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. But a new study suggests it can prevent the build-up of toxins and reverse all the toxic effects of the tau protein, unblocking pathways and restoring memory.A low dose of salsalate appears to lower tau levels, "rescuing" memories and protecting the part of the brain vital for memory formation."We identified for the first time a pharmacological approach that reverses all aspects of tau toxicity," said Dr Li Gan, of the University of California Gladstone Institutes. ..

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