Australian Research Find Possible New Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease

Nancy McCaffrey
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

Australian researchers have reportedly found a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease that will restore all memory function in patients.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia, and is one of the leading causes of death. Those who are affected by this disease suffer from cognitive difficulty including language, problem solving and working with numbers, memory loss and withdrawal from social activities.

The main indicators of this disease are a buildup of amyloid plaques, which are a protein and neurofibrillary tangles, another type of protein.

India, in particular, is facing a disaster in their elderly community. 3.7 million people are affected, with a total of 50 million worldwide. Alzheimer’s takes a huge toll on any medical system in terms of bed availability, caregivers, home care and more.

Alzheimer’s becomes apparently in those over the age of 60. Alzheimer’s can hit those in their 40’s, and that is considered younger or early onset. Once the diseases advances, it’s not uncommon for patients to suffer for years before succumbing. There are no survivors of this disease.

Researchers all over the world are focused on treatment and more recently, preventative measures.

The recent Australian research uses an ultrasound technique called Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Therapeutic Ultrasound. This sends non-invasive sound waves into the brain tissue. These waves gradually open the blood-brain hurdle, which is the layer that protects the brain from bacteria and allows microglial cells to move in.

Microglial cells are waste removal cells, so once they can penetrate past the blood-brain hurdle, they can essentially remove all the toxic amyloid protein build-up.

When tested on mice, 75% of mice had a fully restored memory with zero damage to surrounding brain cells and tested their cognitive skills and memory. Another discovery was the increased permeability of endogenous immunoglobulins that aided in counteracting the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Another study showed MRgFUS (magnetic resonance-guided focused therapeutic ultrasound surgery) improved hippocampus function, a structure of cells in the brain that contributes the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. These research studies are in very preliminary trials, but they show promising potential and hope for those who are suffering.


Nancy is Currently Director of Senior Housing Development at Terra Vista of Oakbrook Terrace.
She is a recognized senior housing leader renowned for creating successful new developments and turning around troubled properties, Nancy McCaffrey boasts over 23 years experience in retirement, assisted living and dementia care. Nancy is a past President of the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC), the Supportive Living Program’s State Association. McCaffrey is a member of Leading Age Illinois, the Assisted Living Federation of America and is an Ambassador Advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. Nancy is a graduate of Purdue University.

Thirty years ago, Nancy’s maternal grandmother Maggie was diagnosed with dementia. In order to keep grandma Maggie safe, she was moved into the family home and care was split between a visiting caregiver, Nancy and the rest of the family. Nancy would later find out Maggie’s episodes of elopement and periods of agitation and combativeness were the results of a condition called sundowning. The McCaffrey family suffered a tremendous burden. Since then, Nancy has devoted her 20+-year career to geriatrics, specializing in dementia care.

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