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In this Article:

• What fraud derailed Alzheimer’s research for decades?
• Why did the amyloid theory dominate for so long?
• How the MIND diet reduce Alzheimer’s risk by half.
• What lessons can we learn from pharmaceutical research mistakes?
• How lifestyle choices impact dementia prevention.

How Scientists Shorted Alzheimer’s Research for Profits

By Sharad P. Paul, MD

In Spotify’s super successful Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan interviewed Max Lugavere journalist and filmmaker, on the topic of dementia. Lugavere talked emotionally about his mother who had suffered from Lewy body dementia, an aggressive form of dementia that had also claimed the actor Robin Williams. The discussion ventured into dementia research and how the world was misled by scientists.

I have a personal interest in dementia research as my father, a retired surgeon, has Alzheimer’s Disease. It is a slow death. Over the past decade I have been keenly studying the medical and scientific literature on this topic to see if there was any real breakthrough. When discussing potential treatments with my medical colleagues, I was especially astonished at the low success rates of Alzheimer’s treatments.

Medicine Does Not Always Translate Into Health

My father is on Donepezil, a medication that is supposed to slow progression or ease symptoms, but does nothing to cure the disease. It’s also used in Lewy body dementia. It works by increasing the amount a brain chemical called acetylcholine, levels of which are lower in dementia. 

In a previous book, The Genetics of Health, I wrote that just as law always doesn’t translate into justice, medicine doesn’t always translate into health. For health one needs to take personal responsibility.

In medicine, one usually follows the money: more funds go into areas that are more profitable or have expensive treatments or procedures, rather than what’s needed for the betterment of all. Less glamorous areas in healthcare gain very little attention. In a strange twist, it took scientists themselves following money — short-selling stocks in this case — to uncover the fraud behind Alzheimer’s Disease research.

Fraud in Alzheimer’s Research

The story begins with a pharmaceutical company, Cassava Sciences, releasing a drug called Simufilam. This medication was based on the amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s — it improved symptoms by repairing a protein that blocked deposits of the protein beta-amyloid. This was because virtually all existing scientific theories suggested that Alzheimer’s was caused by the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) proteins in the brain. After all, the FDA had previously approved other anti-Aβ drugs such as Aduhelm.

However, two neuroscientists who began investigating Simufilam were “short sellers,” meaning they would benefit from falls in the stock of Cassava Sciences. They were confident that research related to Simufilam may have been “fraudulent” and engaged an attorney and other scientists such as Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University, to corroborate their claims. (nature04533)

Where did the amyloid theory originate? Sylvain Lesné of the University of Minnesota originally published the amyloid hypothesis in the influential journal, Nature, in 2006. In this (now retracted) study they replicated findings in mice. They demonstrated an Aβ protein subtype that seemed to cause dementia in rats. Given this clear evidence, most research into Alzheimer’s Disease began to go down this path. 

I followed this research closely and waited for effective drugs to emerge so as to help my father. But surprisingly nothing happened. Zilch. No success. 

Just The Facts...

A six-month investigation by Science raised questions about Lesné’s research and concluded that the original research was fraudulent. To fit their hypotheses, scientists had simply modified and manipulated images. Therefore, any drug that worked off this hypothesis was also based on fake science.

The current theories suggest that it isn’t clumps of beta-amyloid that are the culprits, but that amyloid sparks an alliance between two proteins —  CREB3L2 and ATF4 — in the brain’s neurons that cause rapid accumulation of tau proteins that drive the disease. Fifty percent of the gene expressions in Alzheimer’s Disease are caused by these protein pairs. 

What all this means is that for two decades scientists were barking up the wrong tree. And those that knew, gained by shorting stocks! Only now is research seemingly headed in the right direction. Or is it? It has made people like me naturally sceptical. 

Isn’t science supposed to be about testing a theory to see if it works, and if it truly works, it should be replicable, right? Only time will tell if we’re now on the right path. 

Where Do We Go From Here?

What can we do in the meantime? Fortunately there’s a diet that can potentially cut Alzheimer’s risk by half! The late Martha Clare Morris, of Rush University, pioneered the MIND diet that can reduce risk of dementia. I detail more about this in my new book, Biohacking Your Genes. Here’s a secret tip: There’s no greater “brain food” than a cup of blueberries!

I’m a medical doctor, writer, and professor. What I’ve learned about pharmaceutical research is this: sometimes, in the pursuit of profits, many drugs end up with the researcher’s desire, but not the efficacy, to cure a disease. The best thing you can do is invest in yourself. 

There are a number of lifestyle choices we can make that cost us nothing. For me this story about Alzheimer’s research was a personal lesson well learned about hubris in healthcare. After all, nothing concentrates your mind as much as the prospect of losing someone in your family. 

Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Book by this Author:

BOOK: Biohacking Your Genes

Biohacking Your Genes: 25 Laws for a Smarter, Healthier, and Longer Life
by Sharad P. Paul, MD.

Unlock the secrets to optimal health and longevity today! World-leading doctor and international expert on personalized health Dr. Sharad P. Paul details how you can cultivate a smarter, healthier, and longer life.

The healthcare industry treats illness, but true wellness and a healthy well-being actually come from your lifestyle, diet, and genetics. It’s time to stop underestimating the power of our genes and finally learn how we can biohack them to better our health. Unlike many other books on longevity, this book suggests that happiness and health are about one’s health-span, not lifespan. It includes the author’s essential twenty-five actionable tips for a better body and mind, backed by the author’s extensive scientific research and more than twenty-five years in medical practice.

For more info and/or to order this hardcover book, click here.  Also available as a Kindle edition. 

About the Author

Sharad P. Paul, MD, is a skin cancer specialist, family physician, evolutionary biologist, storyteller, social entrepreneur, and an adjunct professor at Auckland University of Technology. Born in England, with a childhood in India, he’s a global citizen and a noted polymath. He received the Ko Awatea International Excellence Award for “leading health Improvement on a global scale, and his work towards patient-centered medicine across several countries.” He has authored works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and medical textbooks. His new book is Biohacking Your Genes: 25 Laws for a Smarter, Healthier, and Longer Life (Beyond Words Publishing, Oct. 14, 2024). Learn more at BiohackingYourGenes.com.  

More books by this Author.

Article Recap:

This article explores how fraud in Alzheimer’s research led to decades of misleading theories based on manipulated data, leaving millions waiting for effective treatments. The amyloid hypothesis, central to past research, was discredited, revealing how financial incentives overshadowed scientific integrity. New theories focus on protein interactions driving Alzheimer’s. Additionally, lifestyle changes, particularly the MIND diet, show promise in reducing dementia risks. The story is a cautionary tale about science, health, and the pursuit of profits.