Compounds to help prevent brain damage in Alzheimer's found

London, May 1 (ANI): Scientists have discovered a natural chemical cocktail that could slow or even prevent the devastating brain damage caused by Alzheimer's disease.

Potent flourene compounds disrupt the formation of toxic deposits in the brains of dementia victims.

The deposits are destructive amyloid fibres, proteins that kill off nerves in the brain, leading to the symptoms of memory loss and confusion typical of Alzheimer's.

The breakthrough appears to suggest a way could be found to stop them from forming, leading to the incurable condition being effectively wiped out.

Most drugs will not pass from the blood into the brain, but the flourene compounds will.

"We are very excited and hopeful that these unique compounds can become extremely important," the Daily Express quoted Professor John Voss, of the University of California, as saying.

"They have great potential to prevent or delay injury in individuals in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's, before significant damage to the brain occurs," he added.

The finding is reported online in the journal PLoS ONE. (ANI)