In 1906, a German doctor called Alois Alzheimer discovered strange clumps in the brain of a woman who had died of a then-mysterious mental illness.
Nowadays, those clumps have become known as a hallmark of the incurable debilitating disease to which the doctor gave his name. Though researchers have identified the sticky protein plaques that form those clumps, they have yet to find a way to stop their buildup.
This week, however, they took a step closer to achieving that goal, with scientists reporting the action of an experimental drug that prevents plaque formation.