A scientific discovery in Britain opens the door to preventing Alzheimer’s.

A new scientific study conducted by researchers at University College London has revealed significant progress in understanding the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, which may pave the way for the development of drugs capable of preventing or treating the disease.

Researchers said in a study published in npj Dementia, a peer-reviewed journal of the Nature group of journals, that a gene known as apolipoprotein E (APOE) may be linked to about half of all dementia cases and up to 90% of Alzheimer’s cases.

The research team at University College London explained that this gene, along with a protein associated with it, may constitute “an under-researched drug target,” noting that addressing their effects could potentially prevent or reduce the progression of a large proportion of dementia cases.

Although the apolipoprotein E gene has been known for years to be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers emphasize that its true role may have been underestimated. Researcher Dylan Williams from University College London believes that the key to preventing the disease may lie in finding ways to stop the effect of this gene and understanding its interaction with other potential factors such as social isolation or cholesterol levels.

Researcher Dylan Williams said that an analysis of data from more than 450,000 people indicates that a large number of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented, explaining that the role of the “apolipoprotein E” gene is crucial in the development of the disease.

He added that most cases of Alzheimer’s would not have occurred in the first place were it not for the effects of this gene, apart from other genetic factors or the circumstances that carriers of these genetic variants are exposed to in their lives.

The results of this study, published on January 9, come in the context of a series of recent scientific discoveries in the field of dementia research.