Today's Health Links December 4, 2013

Scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease.

People who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease show changes in their brains beginning in childhood, decades before the illness appears, new research suggests.

Recent work from researchers may lead to a potential treatment of brain diseases. The researchers found that a novel and unique compound, named NT219, selectively inhibits the process of aging in order to protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, without affecting lifespan. This is a first and important step towards the development of future drugs for the treatment of various neurodegenerative maladies.