SUNDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists are reporting that they have captured images of brain lesions in rabbits similar to those found in people with Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRIs.

Amyloid plaques, which accumulate in the brain and are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, have been captured before through extra-high-power MRI scanners meant for use in animals and with PET scans.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- A class of drugs called gamma-secretase modulators shows potential for treating Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.

A hallmark of Alzheimer's is so-called amyloid plaque, which develops tangles in the brain. The gamma-secretase modulators reduce the production of long pieces of amyloid beta protein that stick together and form clumps. At the same time, the drugs increase the production of shorter amyloid beta that blocks longer amyloid beta from sticking together, the researchers explained.

A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Boston University says it has found a way to detect the amyloid plaque in the brain that may be able to signal the progression of Alzheimers disease while the patient is still alive.