15 Jul 2011

This week, Nature takes a broad look at the status of Alzheimer’s disease with a sponsored supplement. The Nature Outlook includes perspectives from Neil Buckholtz, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, and Sam Gandy, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Buckholtz stresses the need for more biomarkers to enable earlier detection, while Gandy makes the case for treating AD prophylactically. A growing number of researchers are convinced that recent failures in AD clinical trials are a reflection of too little, too late.

Contributions from six science writers cover the gamut from risk factors to potential treatments. Alison Abbott lays out the stark realities of AD prevalence, set to rise dramatically as the number of older adults, in both developed and developing nations, climbs during the next 40 years. Michael Eisenstein reviews the recent advances in genetics, exploring how variants in DNA increase the risk of AD, and how those inherited risks might interact with environmental ones. Ruth Williams analyzes the trials and tribulations of biomarker research, assessing the various initiatives that are underway and the various strategies they employ. An AD supplement would be hard to write without mentioning amyloid-β, and in one of his pieces Jim Schnabel addresses the various entities, such as oligomers and larger aggregates, and questions how prion-like they are. His second piece traces the history of Aβ immunotherapies, and raises the possibility of one day vaccinating people against AD when they are in their thirties or even twenties. Lauren Gravitz surveys other potential drug targets in her article, while Sarah Deewerdt questions if lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, and socializing, can stave off the disease. Nature has made this Outlook freely available. If you find it stimulating or provocative, use the comment function to share your thoughts.—Tom Fagan.