Scientists found a new Alzheimerâs trigger and a drug that stops it
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– Researchers have identified a new Alzheimerâs target and created an experimental compound that blocks a damaging process inside brain cells. In mice, the treatment slowed nerve cell loss, reduced Alzheimerâs-related changes, and even appeared to promote healthier aging.
A promising experimental compound developed by researchers at ETH Zurich could offer a new way to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In studies involving mice, the treatment reduced nerve cell loss, helped the animals live longer, and targeted a biological process that existing Alzheimer’s drugs do not address.
The compound, known by researchers as “Compound 10,” is the result of nearly two decades of work led by Ursula Quitterer, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at ETH Zurich.
A Long Search for New Alzheimer’s Clues
The research began almost 20 years ago when Quitterer received brain tissue samples from a colleague at Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo. The samples were collected during tumor surgeries and came from both people with dementia and individuals without the condition.
Those samples helped launch an investigation into a protein called GRK2, which has been the focus of Quitterer’s research for many years.
GRK2 plays an important role throughout the body. As a regulatory protein, it helps cells respond to signals and adapt to stress. It is active in several organs, including the heart and the brain, where it supports healthy nerve cell function.
– Joshua Abd Alla, Alexander Perhal, Xuebin Fu, Andreas Langer, Yasser el Faramawy, Ursula Quitterer. Analysis of GRK2 aggregation in the pathology of Alzheimer disease in animal models. Cell Reports Medicine, 2026; 7 (4): 102707 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102707
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