| Alzheimer's disease isn't just about twisted brain cells. It's also about the blood vessels that feed those neurons. New research at Rockefeller University has shown how the most common element of the plaque deposits found outside the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients interacts with a blood clotting agent and causes clots to form faster and become harder to break down. Backed by both test tube experiments and research in mice genetically engineered with Alzheimer's disease, the scientists suggest new drugs that would target this association could potentially treat what is increasingly recognized as a crucial element of the disease, the vascular component. |
