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Researchers have identified a compound that might stall the progression of Alzheimer's by interfering with the role amyloid-β which is a small protein that forms plaques in Alzheimer's brains and contributes to the formation of blood clots. 

For long, potential Alzheimer's drugs have targeted amyloid-β, however in clinical trials those drugs either fail to slow the progression of the disease or cause serious side effects. 

The new research involves targeting the protein's ability to bind to a clotting agent in blood. 

"Our experiments in test tubes and in mouse models of Alzheimer's showed the compound, known as RU-505, helped restore normal clotting and cerebral blood flow. But the big pay-off came with behavioral tests in which the Alzheimer's mice treated with RU-505 exhibited better memories than their untreated counterparts," Strickland lab said in a statement. 

"These results suggest we have found a new strategy with which to treat Alzheimer's disease."

"We tested RU-505 in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease that over-express amyloid- β and have a relatively early onset of disease. Because Alzheimer's disease is a long-term, progressive disease, these treatments lasted for three months," said Hyung Jin Ahn, a research associate in the lab. "Afterward, we found evidence of improvement both at the cellular and the behavioral levels."

The work has been published in the journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.