Gene therapy rescues dying cells in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

New clinical trial data suggest that nerve growth factor gene therapy is safe for extended periods of time

An experimental gene therapy reduces the rate at which nerve cells in the brains of Alzheimer's patients degenerate and die, according to new results from a small clinical trial, published in the current issue of the journal JAMA Neurology.

Targeted injection of nerve growth factor into the patients' brains rescued dying cells around the injection site, enhancing their growth and inducing them to sprout new fibres. In some cases, these beneficial effects persisted for 10 years after the therapy was first delivered.