AN ANTIBIOTIC that was withdrawn because of toxic side effects has been found to slow the progress of dementia in some people with Alzheimer’s disease. The finding could help reveal what causes Alzheimer’s.
Oral use of the antibiotic clioquinol ceased three decades ago when it was linked to nerve degeneration. More recently, animal experiments have shown that the drug clears some amyloid protein from the blood and the brain. This hinted that it might treat Alzheimer’s, which is thought to develop when amyloid protein solidifies into plaques in the brain.
So Colin Masters of Melbourne University in Australia and his…
