Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent cause of dementia. A gradual deterioration in cognitive abilities is its defining feature. Eventually, the disorder leads to issues in behavior, communication, and mental well-being. It significantly disturbs day-to-day living and makes people more reliant on others for everyday tasks.

The many treatments for Alzheimer’s offer relief from symptoms, but they cannot repair the degenerated brain cells (neurons). The growing scientific advancements have been evaluating regenerative therapies to drive neurological recovery. Stem cell treatment has notably surpassed several other treatment modalities in this regard. This blog highlights new Alzheimer's treatments in 2025, including stem cell therapy.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder where the deterioration of neurons impairs cognitive and behavioral functions. This neuronal degeneration begins in the hippocampus region of the brain. As opposed to the common assumption that Alzheimer’s only causes memory issues, the disorder also results in bladder or bowel incontinence, personality changes, involuntary muscle contractions, and sleep disturbances.

As the disorder worsens through different stages, patients stop recognizing close family and friends. Their visual perception of space becomes challenging, requiring assistance in navigating. Typically, Alzheimer’s occurs after the age of 65, referred to as late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD). However, it has been seen in the lower age group termed as early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease (EOAD).

Alzheimer's Disease Causes

The exact cause of the disorder is not clear, but research alludes to a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors being responsible. Alzheimer's Disease Causes are as follows.

Plaques: Beta-amyloid protein forms clumps in the brain, known as amyloid plaques. They disrupt neural communications and trigger inflammation, causing neuronal death.

Tangles: Tau proteins aggregate into thread-like structures known as neurofibrillary tangles. They interrupt the transport of molecules within neurons, which are essential for neural communication, resulting in neural dysfunction.

Neural Degeneration: Reduction in the density of neurons in the cerebral cortex also results in cognitive decline.

Mutations: Several genetic mutations have been found to accelerate the formation of plaques or tangles. These include alterations in genes such as APOE, PSEN2, APP, etc.

Several risk factors increase the susceptibility to Alzheimer's, such as

• Age

• Inadequate diet

• Exposure to pollutants

• Cardiovascular Issues

• Infections

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• Brain injury

• Smoking

• Cerebrovascular Disorder

Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

The present Alzheimer's treatment options slow disease progression and ease symptoms. They include:

Cholinesterase inhibitors: (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine): They work by inhibiting the degradation of acetylcholine- a key molecule for nerve cell communication.

NMDA antagonist (memantine): It blocks NMDA receptors and regulates calcium accumulation.

New Alzheimer's Treatments in 2025

The continuous efforts to develop more effective Alzheimer's treatment have introduced new treatment options.

Disease-Modifying Therapies: They use antibodies against plaques to affect the disease course and delay disease progression. Despite their promising results, their adverse effects have been an obstacle to their clinical use. The immune reaction against these antibodies results in blood vessel leakage in the brain, resulting in clot formation and neural damage.

Brain Shuttle: Drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier is another complication for Alzheimer's Disease Treatment. Brain shuttle exploits transferrin receptor to transport beta-amyloid antibodies and reduce their side effects.

Focused Ultrasound: The exact mechanism behind this therapy is unclear. However, it is hypothesized that ultrasound focused on a specific region of the brain enhances its permeability and activates brain immune cells to clear plaques.

Drug Repurposing: Drugs for other disorders can be used for Alzheimer's treatment. For instance, semaglutide, approved for type 2 diabetes treatment, also shows neuroprotective effects. Chemotherapy drugs irinotecan and letrozole can alleviate the accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau proteins.

Tau-Targeting Drugs: These include drugs that target tau expression, phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, aggregation, etc.

Stem Cell Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease

While the above-mentioned treatment strategies focus on a specific pathway of the disease, stem cell therapy advances further by acting on different disease mechanisms.

Plaque Reduction: Stem cells diminish the plaque size by activating brain immune cells and regulating the levels of enzymes that form beta-amyloid, APP, and secretase.

Neuroprotection: They secrete growth factors that protect neurons from protein accumulation.

Neural Repair: They directly transform into neural cells or indirectly stimulate their formation from progenitor cells to replenish the lost cells.

Neuroinflammation: These cells regulate the cytokine levels to suppress inflammation.

Through these effects, stem cell therapy for Alzheimer's promotes neural connections and improves cognitive and behavioral issues.