Health

Study shows experimental nasal spray could help treat dementia

By Mallika Marshall, MD

July 17, 2024 / 6:05 PM EDT / CBS Boston

Researchers develop a new nasal spray that may help treat dementia

BOSTON -- A new study shows that an experimental nasal spray could help treat dementia.

Researchers at the University of Texas recently developed a nasal spray that can effectively deliver antibodies against a protein called "tau" that builds up in the brains of patients with dementia.

They discovered that a single dose was able to reduce the accumulation of this tau protein and improve cognitive function in mice.

Eventually, researchers plan to test this treatment on humans with the hope that it will become a viable option for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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