Life-changing dementia treatment ‘within five years’ – cure possible, experts announce

British researchers say a cure for Alzheimer’s disease could one day be possible, with experts suggesting truly life-changing treatments may emerge within the next five to ten years. 

Speaking on the Today programme during Sir James Dyson’s guest edit, scientists said advances in dementia research mean the disease is no longer viewed simply as an inevitable part of ageing, but as a condition that could ultimately be treated, prevented and potentially cured.

Almost one million people in the UK are living with dementia, the majority of them with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Until recently, treatment options have been limited, largely focusing on easing symptoms rather than slowing or altering the disease itself.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh told the BBC it should be possible to go further in the future – stopping Alzheimer’s from progressing, preventing it from starting, and, over a longer timeframe, curing people who have already begun to develop symptoms. 

Dr Clare Durrant said there is now genuine optimism in the field. ‘The evidence we have at the moment is that it’s a disease, and that we know from past experiences that disease can be cured,’ she said. 

‘Maybe one day we’ll find evidence in the future that Alzheimer’s disease is inherently part of being human, and if we all lived to be 200 it would be so intertwined. But at the moment I don’t see that evidence.’

Experts cautioned that the brain’s complexity means certainty will depend on the results of future clinical trials. More to follow.