New studies will test the leading hypothesis on how to stop the devastating brain disease. Many scientists believe the chief culprit in Alzheimer's is a characteristic protein fragment associated with the disease called amyloid beta, which accumulates in the brain, forming insoluble plaques. The theory is if plaque formation is prevented, or if the plaques can be dissolved and removed before the disease is advanced, the progress of the disease may be altered.

The plan got momentum when the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association proposed new guidelines for finding signs of Alzheimer's in people who either have mild symptoms or none at all.

More than 100 experimental drugs designed to block amyloid beta are in the pipeline, reports the New York Times, and drugmakers want to know if their drugs would be effective in slowing or stopping the disease if given at the earliest stages.


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