‘Beyond amyloid’: A look at what’s next in Alzheimer’s research

It’s neuroscience’s oldest and most acrimonious debate. On one side, scientists who aver that blasting away toxic plaques called amyloid is the best path toward treating Alzheimer’s disease. On the other, frustrated skeptics ready to ditch the amyloid hypothesis once and for all.

But a parade of failed clinical trials has seeded a growing middle ground of agnostics and stoked a bevy of new research efforts, as “the field in general — and our pharma colleagues — are recognizing that they need to think beyond amyloid,” said Dr. David Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Here’s a look at some of the most interesting ideas from the beyond.

What about the immune system?

The memory-destroying effects of Alzheimer’s unassailably take place in the brain, but mounting research suggests that the body’s natural defenses, hardly infallible, are unwittingly