Insulin May Help Treat Alzheimer's

Researchers liken degenerative disease to brain diabetes
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 3, 2009 3:26 PM CST
Insulin May Help Treat Alzheimer's
Insulin, used for diabetes treatment, could also help fight Alzheimer's.   (Shutterstock)

Alzheimer’s disease “is a type of brain diabetes”—meaning that insulin treatments could help fight it, scientists say. Researchers found that brain cells treated with insulin plus a drug to speed its effects were much less affected by the disease, the BBC reports. “Our results demonstrate that bolstering insulin signaling can protect neurons from harm,” said a researcher at Northwestern University.
(More Alzheimer's disease stories.)

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