Japanese researchers have just published a major breakthrough in the study of Alzheimer's disease in Brain Communications. It was already known that this disease progressively destroys brain connections due to the accumulation of the toxic protein amyloid beta, which forms plaques responsible for cognitive decline—a process that begins nearly twenty years before the first symptoms appear.
The team from the National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry identified what appears to be the starting point of this accumulation: a tiny structure that serves as a foundation for plaque formation. They named it "Peak 1 amyloid beta." This discovery stemmed from experiments on mice genetically modified to produce more of the toxic protein. Only some mice developed abnormal deposits, and all of them exhibited this particular "germ." The researchers then confirmed its presence in the brains of deceased Alzheimer's patients.
While this breakthrough may not immediately transform treatment, it opens a new therapeutic avenue. Current treatments primarily focus on reducing the plaques that have already formed. Scientists can now consider blocking the emergence of the germ itself, thus preventing the formation of toxic deposits.
In Japan, where nearly five million people live with dementia, this discovery represents a significant scientific and public health opportunity.
 Frank Verain
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30/07/2026 | 
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