New Findings Highlight Lithium as a Promising Pathway in Alzheimer’s Therapy

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00:00New findings highlight lithium as a promising pathway in Alzheimer's therapy.

00:06For decades, scientists around the world have been attempting to uncover the root causes

00:11of Alzheimer's disease, a condition that slowly steals memory, independence, and identity.

00:19Despite countless studies and billions of dollars invested, a true breakthrough has

00:23remained elusive.

00:25However, a recent discovery from researchers at Harvard Medical School is now turning heads.

00:32At the center of this unexpected finding is a familiar element.

00:36It's one that's been quietly used in medicine for years, lithium.

00:41In a study that spanned over 10 years, scientists discovered that lithium is naturally present

00:47in the brain and may play a crucial role in protecting against aging and Alzheimer's disease.

00:54They found that in the early stages of the disease, before major symptoms appear, lithium

00:59levels begin to drop.

01:02Lithium turns out to be like other nutrients we get from the environment, explained senior

01:06researcher Bruce Yankner.

01:09The team developed lithium orotate, a compound that reaches brain cells without being trapped

01:14by plaques.

01:16It worked at doses 1,000th of typical psychiatric treatments.

01:20I really have not seen anything quite like it in all my years of working on this disease,

01:25Yankner commented.

01:28Researchers caution against self-medicating with lithium supplements, as they can be dangerous

01:33without medical supervision.