Breakthrough drug slows Alzheimer’s

Plus: We just found out how bacteria move (after 50 years of not knowing). Sep 29, 2022 [Blueprint]( What’s just happened here is monumental, make no mistake about it. [This new drug]( which has been developed by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, is the first to ever blunt the progression of the symptom in the final-phase trial. Researchers said it has shown promising results in a clinical trial, by slowing cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients who received it. In the past, multiple pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop drugs that can reduce amyloid in the brain, but all have produced mixed results, at best. So this is not only a significant result, but also confirms the amyloid hypothesis for the disease progression that has come under lens after years of failed trials. But before you scrutinize that in all its glory, take a look at [this video]( of the world’s first all-electric commuter aircraft, as it takes to the skies. It’s called Alice, which I think is a great name. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers had an exclusive insight from Roxana Bujack on how researchers uncovered a 100-year-old math error, and what they’re going to do with the findings. This week, they’ll hear Adam Slavney talk about his first-of-its-kind air conditioner that uses solid refrigerants, and how and why he and his team want to make barocaloric cooling commercially viable. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+ today]( to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Watch Alice, the world’s first all-electric commuter aircraft, as it takes to the skies.]( [World’s first all-electric commuter aircraft.]( Alice is a wonder(land) to behold. [Must Read]MUST READ [A breakthrough drug slows Alzheimer’s progression in major clinical trial.]( [A breakthrough drug slows Alzheimer’s progression.]( Japanese pharmaceutical company, [Eisai Co. Ltd, has a new drug, Lecanemab]( which has showed promising results in a clinical trial. Other words you could use to describe these results might be groundbreaking, exciting, and amazing… but I’ll leave that up to you. Because what it has done in these trials, is slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients who received it. This is the first drug ever to blunt the progression of the symptom in the final-phase trial. This is the second drug the team has developed to lower amyloid, which is a toxic protein found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Multiple pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop drugs that can reduce amyloid, but they have all produced mixed results. Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to neutralize and eliminate the amyloid-beta aggregates in the brain. In addition to meeting the primary endpoint of slowing cognitive decline, the drug also met secondary endpoints of the trial such as the change in amyloid levels from baseline at 18 months in the placebo group and several measures of cognitive impairment. → This is not only a significant result, but it also confirms the amyloid hypothesis for the disease progression, which has come under the lens after years of failed trials. The amyloid hypothesis supposes that amyloid-beta (Aβ), in a variety of forms, triggers a cascade harming synapses and ultimately neurons, eventually leading to dementia. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [Scientists solve the 50-year-old mystery of how bacteria move.]( Bacteria push themselves forward by coiling long, threadlike appendages into corkscrew shapes that act as makeshift propellers. But [how exactly they do this]( has long baffled scientists, until now. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - Jawed vertebrates date back to [439 million years ago]( study reveals. - Netherlands researchers [break the 30 percent barrie]( in solar cells. - Behold! The [first post-crash pictures]( of NASA's DART target asteroid Dimorphos. [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Oracle's new 'mini smart city' is revolutionizing your work commute- here's how. [premium]]( From robot dogs to AI and a train that could take you to Mars, the company's labs showcase [a vision of your sustainable (work) future](. Included in their plans is a 30-year-old train repurposed to model to take you to any destination. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - Europe is testing the viability of massive miles-long [solar space satellites](. - Firehawk’s [3D-printed fuels and rocket engines]( have successfully passed testing. - [Scientists suggest a better alternative]( to UK’s ‘pipe dream’ of using hydrogen for heating. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS A breakthrough drug slows Alzheimer’s progression in major clinical trial. The drug is already being considered by regulators for accelerated approval, when do you think it will become widely available in the U.S.? [Hopefully soon]( [Not for years and years]( [It won’t]( [It’s hard to say]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you which other US Air Force/RAF tech do you think the two countries should use collaboratively, and 48 percent of you said something classified. And, the day before yesterday, we asked you what you think the main cause was for the devastating flooding in Pakistan, and 48 percent said poor infrastructure. (Sorry for keeping you on tenterhooks and not letting you know this yesterday.) 48% Something classified 22% USAF’s F-22 18% Something else entirely 12% RAF’s Tempest [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “One would need to be already wise, in order to love wisdom”. Friedrich von Schiller 1759–1805 German dramatist and poet: On the Aesthetic Education of Man (1795). [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Dash Egg Cooker]( [image]( [Greaval Long Range Walkie Talkies]( [image]( [Benq Presentation System]( [image]( [Grizzle E EV Charger]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Sentient chatbots, Douglas Hofstadter, and [why general AI is still a long way off](. [premium] - False teeth could [double as hearing aids](. (Science News) - [Self-boosting vaccines]( An MIT invention could solve one of healthcare's biggest problems. [premium] - We are finally waking up to the [causes of insomnia]( and how to treat it. (New Scientist) - Here's what [complex primate societies can teach us]( about sex and gender. [premium] - [Extra hard space diamonds]( may have formed in an ancient cosmic collision. (Scientific American) - [Alarming levels of toxic mercury]( been detected in the soil of ancient Mayan cities. [Subscribe to IE+ today.]( Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here](. © Copyright 2022 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]