The Washington Post is reporting that a new study may have identified a protein linked to memory loss:

Some recovery of memory may be possible in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a provocative new study in mice that could help researchers open a two-pronged attack against the mind-robbing illness.
The research shows a mutant protein named tau is poisoning brain cells, and that blocking its production may allow some of those sick neurons to recover. It worked in demented mice who, to the scientists’ surprise, fairly rapidly regained memory.
The work is years away from being useful in people. There are no drugs yet to block tau, and most of the recent search for Alzheimer’s treatments has focused instead on another protein, called beta-amyloid.

–snip–

It’s important research because it bolsters the notion of targeting those sick neurons in hopes of one day reversing at least some of dementia’s damage, said William Thies, scientific director of the Alzheimer’s Association. Today’s Alzheimer’s drugs only treat symptoms.
“If you can actually rescue some of these sick cells, that really brings the possibility of return of some function, which would be of tremendous value,” he said.

Read the whole thing.

Doubtless, you’ve all heard the news about Vioxx and Celebrex and the allegation that those drugs increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Now an Alzheimer’s Prevention Study is being halted because Aleve, one of the medications they are using in the study, contains naproxen, the same ingredient contained in Celebrex. The subjects of the study were being administered Aleve, Celebrex or a placebo. I cringe to imagine of the activity going on in offices of plaintiff’s personal injury lawyers over these revelations.

In fact, I don’t really have to imagine. After the news about Vioxx came out, I received a letter from one of these lawyers, essentially soliciting potential clients who might have heart problems and who have been taking Vioxx. In case you didn’t know this, plaintiff’s lawyers send these kinds of letters out to other lawyers all the time.

All I can say is that there is NO drug without risks. That’s why physicians are involved in prescribing drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex. Most patients benefit greatly from these drugs. It’s a miniscule few who have adverse affects.

The fact that the few is miniscule will not stop predatory lawyers from attempting to feed on the bodies of the pharmaceutical companies making these drugs. And, it is probable that most of the cases will involve people who have heart problems because they are old. These same people will have arthritic pain because they are old. But the plaintiff’s personal injury lawyers will find expert witnesses willing to prostitute themselves to testify that the drugs caused the heart problems. That’s how it works in the realm of products liability.

If you think that the Pharmaceutical Industry is evil, go read this article written for Harper’s Magazine by Mark Twain about the state of health care in 1890 when they were still using leeches for everything. (Hat tip Dr. Charles)

You want true tort reform? Figure out how to stop State-funded law schools from pumping out so many lawyers.