Hi:

Recently I read an article in the local newspaper (wvgazette.com)about research relevant to this disease, and I insert a few graphs of the story:

"WVU researchers find possible memory aid

By Eric Eyre
Staff writer

West Virginia scientists have discovered that a drug developed to treat cancer patients may improve and restore memory among people with Alzheimer’s disease or stroke and brain injuries.

In an article published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, two scientists at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in Morgantown found that the cancer drug Bryostatin stimulates brain connections in rats.

The drug essentially rewires the brain, according to researchers Daniel Alkon and Jarin Hongpaisan, who conducted the study.
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“Bryostatin and other drugs in this class could introduce a whole new era for brain repair,” he said. “At the same time, we are now closer to understanding what controls the growth of synaptic connections in the adult brain. I don’t know any drugs that have been shown to create new synapses.”

Within the next several weeks, the Institute plans to seek Food and Drug Administration approval to conduct clinical trials of Bryostatin as a treatment of neurological disorders. The trials, expected to start next year, will determine whether the drug’s promising results on rat brains will have similar effects on human brains."

Perhaps Mr. Pratchett or his medical folks should look into this research.

JR