Therapies that target these proteins could help clear toxic plaques in patients with the disease, researchers say.

Dementia usually is considered a disease of the elderly, but Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are detected in many who are younger than 65, and early diagnosis of the disorders can be elusive, a leading specialist on dementias told a recent Capitol Hill briefing hosted by AAAS.

The emerging ability to detect changes in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease gives scientists the prospect of developing preventive measures for the devastating disorder, a leading specialist on the disease told a recent gathering at AAAS.

Dr. Reisa A. Sperling, director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment at the Harvard Medical School, said there has been some “very exciting research” recently which suggests that the preclinical process of Alzheimer’s typically is underway for 10 or even 20 years before detectable symptoms.

Two mouse studies published this week suggest innovative approaches for treating two of the developed world’s most troubling diseases. One study tests a potential therapy using an FDA-approved cancer drug to treat Alzheimer’s, while the other examines how a few days of fasting may delay tumor growth and improve chemotherapy.

A “cocktail” of inhibiting drugs may prove to be a successful treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study on mice published in Science Translational Medicine. reports. This combination therapy, which targets two specific enzymes simultaneously, is thought to be safer and more effective than current treatments using drugs that target only one of these enzymes.