Lithium and Alzheimer's disease in fruit-flies

The Alzheimer's Society is very pleased to be associated with this piece of important research. Dr Mudher's research fellowship is funded through the Alzheimer's Society's funding programme, Quality Research in Dementia.

Alzheimer's disease is characterised by the formation of tangles formed by the tau protein and plaques formed by the amyloid protein, but other, rarer dementias are dominated by tangles. Recently amyloid plaques have received more attention by researchers.

The results published in Molecular Psychiatry are very exciting because they increase our understanding of how tau leads to the formation of tangles. The results also seem to provide a possible explanation of how both tau abnormalities and amyloid protein abnormalities may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease through a link to the intracellular transport system.

The Alzheimer's Society is pleased that the MRC has given its support to fund this study of lithium as a therapy for Alzheimer's disease. It is clear that lithium, as well as other potential drugs targeting the same mechanism, will have to be thoroughly investigated and that any general use of the drug in treatment of dementia is still some years away.

If you would like more information about participating in any trial contact your GP.