Health
New Alzheimer’s treatment accelerates removal of plaque from the brain in clinical trials
A new Alzheimer’s therapy has shown potential in the first human trials.
Researchers at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) found that by pairing focused ultrasound in combination with antibody therapies, they were able to accelerate the removal of amyloid-beta plaques from the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 11.
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An abnormal buildup of amyloid-beta proteins is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, as these proteins clump together to form plaques that interfere with neurons in the brain.
Anti-amyloid-beta monoclonal antibody treatments, such as aducanumab and lecanemab, have proven to be effective in clearing these plaques and slowing disease progression.
An Alzheimer’s patient undergoes focused ultrasound treatment with the WVU RNI team. (Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University (WVU))
But until now the drugs have been limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is designed to keep harmful substances from reaching the brain, according to a press release from RNI.
“A study like this is important because it demonstrates that there may be safe ways to increase drug delivery to the brain without any serious adverse effects.”
More than 98% of drugs are blocked by the barrier, which means patients require higher doses and more frequent therapies, the researchers noted.
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In this study, scientists used a focused ultrasound (FUS) system to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, which allowed the antibodies to have greater access to areas of the brain with high amyloid-beta plaques.
After six months of antibody treatment, the study participants had an average of 32% more reduction in amyloid-beta plaques in areas where the BBB was opened compared to areas where the drug was used without the ultrasound, the release stated.
The WVU RNI team, shown in the MRI suite’s control area, plans ultrasound blood-brain barrier treatment. (Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University (WVU))
“This was a first in human safety and feasibility study in three participants demonstrating that the BBB opening can accelerate clearance of beta amyloid plaques,” study lead Dr. Ali Rezai, director of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at WVU, told Fox News Digital.
“Non-invasive focused ultrasound is an outpatient procedure that allows for targeted delivery of therapeutics to the brain that can potentially accelerate the benefit of the antibody treatment in Alzheimer’s disease,” he added.
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The three patients, between the ages of 59 and 77, all had mild Alzheimer’s disease.
During the study, they received six monthly infusions of the aducanumab antibody.
After each treatment, the focused ultrasound was used to open the BBB at the sites of the highest plaque buildup.
While there are some potential risks associated with ultrasound use, such as brain swelling and hemorrhage, Rezai said those effects were not observed in this study.
The focused ultrasound helmet unit with 1,024 ultrasound transducers attaches to the MRI table for MRI-guided treatment. (Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University (WVU))
“We verified with MRI scans that the BBB opening was temporary and it closed 24 to 48 hours after the FUS procedure,” he told Fox News Digital.
The reductions in amyloid plaques were verified in PET scans.
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This was the first step toward larger studies; in those, researchers will be able to evaluate more patients and larger areas of the brain, Rezai noted.
In the next phase of the clinical trial, the ultrasound therapy will be paired with lecanemab, another anti-beta amyloid antibody.
This 3-D illustration shows how ultrasound waves from inside the helmet converge on a focal point on the brain used for blood-brain barrier opening. (Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University (WVU))
Dr. James Galvin, director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, was not involved in the WVU research but shared his reaction.
“A study like this is important because it demonstrates that there may be safe ways to increase drug delivery to the brain without any serious adverse effects,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Focused ultrasound has been used in other treatment paradigms for brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors,” Galvin went on.
Galvin also cautioned that this research was conducted with only three patients and was not a placebo-controlled study.
As of 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s. (iStock)
“It was also designed as a safety study and not appropriately powered to detect significant clinical changes,” he added. “It is still too early to make any specific recommendations, but I am excited to see if there are planned follow-up studies with a larger number of patients.”
Rebecca M. Edelmayer, PhD, senior director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association, was also not involved in the study but called the results “very intriguing,” albeit preliminary.
“The blood brain barrier, in its healthy form, protects the brain from harmful agents that could reach it via the bloodstream,” she told Fox News Digital via email.
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“Getting therapeutics across this barrier — from the bloodstream into the brain tissue — is a challenge for any drug used to treat brain diseases, including drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease.”
Edelmayer added that while this was a “very small study of relatively short length,” it was a worthwhile way to test a “cutting-edge idea” for improving the effectiveness of Alzheimer’s medications.
This illustration of the MRI-guided focused ultrasound system includes a representation of treatment delivery, the target region, and the corresponding opening of the blood-brain barrier demonstrated by contrast enhancement. (Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University (WVU))
Focused ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier opening has also been shown to improve drug delivery to treat brain tumors, Edelmayer pointed out.
“This is a great example of how learnings from research in other diseases might be repurposed for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.”
Looking ahead, Edelmayer said the results of this early research point to the need for larger-scale, longer trials.
“We need more research in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease from all communities to know the full impact this approach could have.”
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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