Is 'Friendly Fire' in the Brain Provoking Alzheimer's Disease?

Neuroscientist Michael Heneka conducted years of research that discovered the brain's immune system plays a major role in the development of dementia, reports Scientific American . Heneka and colleagues eliminated a key inflammation gene, known as Nlpr3, from a strain of mouse that commonly develops Alzheimer's disease. The mice that had the gene removed passed memory tests, showed no signs of protein plaques commonly seen with dementia, and were generally healthy. Subsequent studies have supported Heneka's findings, but none have discovered a solid link. Still, the findings have caught the attention of drug companies that know the market for people with dementia is very large and underserved. However, scientists must still determine if the brain's immune system needs to be ramped up or dialed down during different phases of the disease to have an impact. There are also continued struggles with clinical trials involving Alzheimer's disease that may slow development of this potential treatment. Still, experts are excited about the potential these findings have and what they could lead to in the future for dementia treatment.