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Researchers in the US report striking results suggesting Alzheimer’s disease may be reversible—at least in mice. In a study led by neuroscientist Andrew A. Pieper at Case Western Reserve University and published in Cell Reports Medicine, scientists treated mice with advanced Alzheimer’s-like symptoms using a compound called P7C3-A20. After treatment, the animals regained normal cognitive function, raising hopes that brain damage from the disease may not be permanently fixed.
The drug works by restoring levels of NAD+, a molecule essential for cellular energy and metabolism that declines with age and is especially depleted in Alzheimer’s brains. Low NAD+ leaves neurons vulnerable to inflammation and dysfunction. By rebalancing this energy system, P7C3-A20 appeared to reverse both the biological damage and memory loss in two different mouse models of Alzheimer’s—one driven by amyloid plaques and the other by tau tangles.
Importantly, the treatment didn’t just prevent disease when given early; it also reversed symptoms in mice with established Alzheimer’s. The researchers say this strengthens the idea that repairing the brain’s energy metabolism could allow damaged neurons to recover. Unlike common NAD+ supplements, which may push levels too high and carry cancer risks, P7C3-A20 boosts NAD+ through a different, potentially safer pathway.
While experts caution that results in mice don’t always translate to humans, the findings add to growing optimism in the field. Scientists are increasingly viewing Alzheimer’s as a treatable biological process rather than an inevitable decline, with human trials now the critical next step.
