EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Alzheimer's Awareness Month

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: 22-Jul-2025 18:11 ET (22-Jul-2025 22:11 GMT/UTC)

4-Feb-2025

International Alzheimer’s prevention trial in young adults begins

The first participants in an international clinical trial aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s disease in young adults at high risk of the disease have been enrolled. The trial, led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, aims to determine whether stopping the early molecular changes that lead to symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease can prevent the disease from ever taking hold.

Funder: Alzheimer's Association, Eli Lilly and Company, GHR Foundation, NIH/National Institute on Aging, Joanne Knight and family

4-Feb-2025

Lab findings support the concept that reducing neuroinflammation could help fight Alzheimer’s

DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists from DZNE, University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn provide new evidence that preventing brain inflammation is a promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings, based on studies in cell culture, mice and tissue samples from patients, may contribute to the development of more effective therapies. They are published in the scientific journal “Immunity”.

Journal: Immunity

4-Feb-2025

New CAMH-developed drug shows promise in reversing memory loss for early Alzheimer's patients

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A paradigm-shifting study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows an experimental drug, GL-II-73, has the potential to restore memory and cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Recently published in Neurobiology of Aging, the study demonstrates that the drug improves memory deficits and reverses brain cell damage, offering hope for improving cognitive functioning, delaying Alzheimer's progression, and potentially preventing some of the brain damages associated with the disease.

Journal: Neurobiology of Aging

4-Feb-2025

HKUST scientists identify Alzheimer’s disease-protective genetic factors and unravel disease mechanisms

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has identified key genetic factors that confer protective effects against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) through a comprehensive genetic analysis of East Asian populations, including Chinese and Japanese, as well as European populations. This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on how these genetic factors can exert protective effects, unveiling the biological mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis.

Journal: Alzheimer’s & Dementia

3-Feb-2025

Self-assembling cerebral blood vessels: A breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment

Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new platform for studying neuroinflammatory diseases, utilizing advanced 3D bioprinting technology was developed by POSTECH in collaboration with Seoul National University Hospital.

Journal: Biomaterials Research

3-Feb-2025

Advanced wearable technology improves support for people with dementia and their caregivers

Texas A&M University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Those receiving care then wore a GPS-based device (resembling a smartwatch) that also had an S.O.S. emergency calling function. Their caregivers downloaded a smartphone application that informed them of the location of their care recipient, set physical boundaries that triggered smartphone notifications when crossed and enabled immediate communication with care recipients who wandered.

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder: Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium