Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, we’re exploring the science and stories surrounding Alzheimer’s disease. 

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-May-2026 19:16 ET (31-May-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

29-May-2026

New study finds clues to Alzheimer’s disease origins

Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Columbia researchers identify how harmful tau filaments may first form, opening potential path toward developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects millions of people worldwide.

Journal

Nature Neuroscience

Funder

Alzheimer's Association, U.S. Department of Defense, Fidelity Biomedical Research Initiative, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, Norm Foundation, American Federation for Aging Research, Freedom Together Foundation, Simons Foundation

29-May-2026

 

Mapping how the brain takes out its trash

Gladstone Institutes
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have devised a way to track the exact routes that debris uses when exiting the brain. Their approach, described in Cell, has revealed new details about how the brain clears waste, including how bordering immune cells interact with waste products and how Alzheimer’s disease disrupts this carefully orchestrated system.

Journal

Cell

Funder

Alzheimer's Association, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Ludwig Family Foundation, UCSF Sandler Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research, Dolby Family

28-May-2026

THE LANCET: Three papers publishing in a special issue on neurology

The Lancet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

**Embargo: 23.30 [UK time] / 18.30 [US ET] Thursday 28th May 2026** 

The following three papers are publishing together in a Special Issue of The Lancet focused on neurology. They are all under the same embargo.

Journal

The Lancet

28-May-2026

 

New brain scan detects Alzheimer’s tau earlier than current standard

University of Pittsburgh
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In one of the largest head-to-head tau PET comparisons conducted to date, PET tracer MK6240 identified 23 additional tau-positive cases per 100 scans in cognitively healthy people with amyloid pathology, compared to Flortaucipir.

Journal

The Lancet

28-May-2026

Can an Alzheimer’s blood test detect early, subtle cognitive decline?

University of California - San Francisco
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For the first time, researchers found blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease that correlated with minor cognitive differences in midlife adults who did not have dementia. The study, led by UC San Francisco, also found that the biomarkers, which measure tau and amyloid plaque, were associated with a greater chance of cognitive decline in these participants.  

Journal

The Lancet

Funder

Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship

28-May-2026

 

Could targeting neuronal metabolism offer a new path for neurodegenerative disease therapy?

Science Exploration Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University of Cambridge highlight new ways that neurons and many cell types use to sense nutrients — opening potential novel therapeutic avenues for disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Funder

NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre