MIND THIEF

A study of the global effort to find a treatment for the pandemic of brain disease.

After describing the history of Alzheimer’s and its explosion into national consciousness 40 years ago, Yu, who teaches technical, engineering, and science writing at Kansas State University, delivers an expert account of the groundbreaking research that revealed the genetics and biochemistry of the disease. These advances led to the first drugs approved by the FDA, beginning with tacrine in 1993 and ending with memantine in 2003. “Since then,” writes the author, “no new Alzheimer’s drug has been approved. It is, however, important to note that neurotransmitter treatments are all palliative. That is, they do not cure Alzheimer’s, nor do they stop the progression of the disease.” Her optimism does not conceal the fact that these are only marginally effective, and the placebo effect may play a role. Once pathological exams revealed that brains of Alzheimer’s patients show abnormal plaques and tangles of fibers, researchers experimented with vaccines and antibodies aimed to dissolve them or prevent their formation. Many worked dramatically in lab animals but failed in humans. Yu takes no prisoners in describing desperate efforts by even established pharmaceutical firms. When expensive studies fail, researchers often pore over the results to discover smaller groups that seemed to benefit—e.g., those with a certain genetic profile or mild disease. Although a disreputable tactic—quipped one expert, “if you torture the data enough, it will confess”—the result is often major headlines and increased stock prices, but so far no breakthrough or FDA approval. The author reflects that “one gets the feeling that we are simply throwing all the available drugs at Alzheimer’s and hoping that something sticks.” Yu has no doubt that science will defeat Alzheimer’s, but matters will move more quickly once we understand it. So far, researchers are guided by theories.

Accomplished popular science in which the author, uniquely, refuses to conclude that a cure is just around the corner.