News
What's happening in Alzheimer's care, research funding, and treatment — summarized simply, each item linked to the original reporting.
Free to read, “May need a subscription” and “Archived copy”: what they mean
Whether an article is free to read is a guess, not a test of your access. Each item is one of three:
- No label: free to read (303 of 347). The publisher’s page marks it free, or the outlet publishes free to read: Medical Xpress, ScienceDaily, NIH (incl. NIA and PMC), Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's News Today, NPR, Alzheimer's Disease International, or a .gov site.
- May need a subscription (11 of 347). The publisher’s own page marks the article as not free to read, or — when the page says nothing — the outlet sells subscriptions: The New York Times, STAT, Scientific American, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Times, The Telegraph, New Scientist, Endpoints News, Science. Each badge says which.
- “Free to read? Not known” (33 of 347). The outlet is on neither list and its page said nothing. We do not call these paywalled.
Archived copy links go to a copy the Internet Archive (web.archive.org) saved, dated the day it was saved. We show one only where the Internet Archive reported a working saved copy when we checked; an archived copy of a subscription article sometimes shows only its opening. 265 of 347 items have one.
Large-scale genetic study on Alzheimer's identifies new DNA risks
A large-scale international study offers new insights for understanding Alzheimer's disease and developing future treatments. The University of Exeter–led PROTECT study was part of the research, led by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and published in Nature…
Read at Medical Xpress →Repeating stretch of DNA offers a new clue to Alzheimer's susceptibility
A three-letter sequence repeating along a stretch of DNA could offer new clues about why some people are more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease than others. The sequence, CCG, sits in a region of DNA that controls the gene FAM193B.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (20 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveWhy some people escape Alzheimer’s despite carrying a high-risk gene
Scientists have discovered why some people with a high genetic risk of Alzheimer’s remain mentally sharp into their 80s, uncovering a rare mutation that protects the brain from harmful protein buildup. …
Read at ScienceDaily → Archived copy (19 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveHow the biggest Alzheimer's risk gene disrupts the process of insulating neurons
One of the main ways that the APOE4 gene variant, the biggest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, undermines brain circuit function is by disrupting the process of insulating neurons with a fatty sheath that optimizes their electrical transmission.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (16 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveHelping others linked to slower cognitive decline among people at higher genetic risk for Alzheimer's
Regularly volunteering or informally helping people outside one's home may buffer against accelerated decline in memory and thinking for people with a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, according to new research led by The University of Texas at Austin.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (14 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveStudy offers new clues about how genetic risk for Alzheimer's affects brain immune cells
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new clue that may help explain why some people are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. …
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (13 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveAlzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 may have a reversible weakness
The Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 may actively damage brain blood vessels and sabotage the cellular systems that remove harmful proteins. Researchers were able to reverse some of these effects in experiments, revealing promising new targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s…
Gene editing approach opens potential new route to Alzheimer's treatment
Dr. Kevin Kemp and his research team at the University of Bristol have converted the high-risk Alzheimer's gene APOE4 into the lower-risk APOE3 gene.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (29 Sep 2026), Internet ArchiveGenetic analysis reveals potential benefit of aspirin for reducing dementia risk
Low-dose aspirin was associated with a 70% lower risk of dementia among older people with a particular genetic profile, a new Monash University analysis has found, raising the possibility of a more personalized approach to dementia prevention.
Read at Medical Xpress →Scientists find a new layer of Alzheimer’s hidden in the genome
Scientists found that the 3D organization of DNA is disrupted in several types of brain cells affected by Alzheimer’s disease, altering how important genes are switched on and off. …
Read at ScienceDaily → Archived copy (20 Sep 2026), Internet ArchiveA major Alzheimer’s risk gene may shrink brain cells years before symptoms
Researchers have uncovered a possible reason why the Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 can disrupt the brain long before memory problems begin. In mice, APOE4 increased a protein called Nell2, shrinking neurons and making memory circuits unusually active. …
Read at ScienceDaily → Archived copy (1 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveScientists discover why poor sleep may harm some brains more
A gene involved in the brain’s overnight cleaning system may change how strongly poor sleep affects Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. The findings point toward more personalized prevention strategies based on both genetics and sleep habits.
Read at ScienceDaily → Archived copy (1 Aug 2026), Internet ArchiveAPOE2 may protect the brain from Alzheimer’s and aging
The longevity-linked APOE2 gene appears to protect brain cells by reducing DNA damage and helping neurons recover from stress. The finding could open a new path toward treatments that mimic APOE2’s defenses in people at higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s.
Researchers explore new diagnostic tools, genetic roots for early-onset dementia
Researchers at the new Center for Brain Health at UT Health San Antonio are studying midlife testing for early-onset dementia with blood-based biomarkers to see if they can detect disease activity up to 20 years before symptoms appear.
Why it matters: Midlife blood-based biomarker testing is being studied to see if it can detect early-onset dementia activity up to 20 years before symptoms appear.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (27 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveThis one gene may explain most Alzheimer’s cases
Alzheimer’s may be driven far more by genetics than previously thought, with one gene playing an outsized role. Researchers found that up to nine in ten cases could be linked to the APOE gene — even including a common version once considered neutral. …
Read at ScienceDaily → Archived copy (23 Sep 2026), Internet ArchiveSuper agers tend to have at least two key genetic advantages, study finds
The gene variant posing the greatest genetic risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is called APOE-ε4. A different variant of the same gene, APOE-ε2, is thought to confer protection against AD.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (6 Mar 2026), Internet ArchiveHidden 'switches' in DNA reveal new insights into Alzheimer's disease
A tiny percentage of our DNA—around 2%—contains 20,000-odd genes. The remaining 98%—long known as the non-coding genome, or so-called 'junk' DNA—includes many of the "switches" that control when and how strongly genes are expressed.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (17 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveAPOE gene raises delirium risk even without dementia, global analysis reveals
A major genetic risk factor for delirium has been identified in a study that analyzed the DNA of more than 1 million people worldwide.
Why it matters: A study analyzing DNA from over 1 million people worldwide identified a major genetic risk factor for delirium.
Genetic risk combined with cardiovascular factors may help predict and delay dementia
Combining genetic risk with cardiovascular disease risk factors—such as high LDL cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension—may predict who is more likely to develop dementia, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.
Why it matters: Combining genetic risk with cardiovascular disease risk factors—such as high LDL cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension—may predict who is more likely to develop dementia.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (22 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveGene 'switch' reverses Alzheimer's risk in experimental model
University of Kentucky researchers have developed a new experimental model that could point the way toward more effective Alzheimer's disease treatments by targeting one of the brain's most important genes for risk and resilience.
Why it matters: Researchers have developed a new experimental model that could point the way toward more effective Alzheimer's disease treatments.
A gene guiding brain cell growth may regulate Alzheimer’s plaque size and toxicity
Plexin-B1 shapes glial networks around beta-amyloid plaques. An NIA-funded study has found that targeting it may improve plaque clearance and reduce brain inflammation.
Why it matters: Targeting Plexin-B1 may improve beta-amyloid plaque clearance and reduce brain inflammation, offering a potential path to regulate Alzheimer's plaque size and toxicity.
Read at NIH National Institute on Aging → Archived copy (2 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveFollow new items in a feed reader: Atom feed.