A study of two different cancer drugs in mice showed promise for reversing Alzheimer's brain damage. Scientists are hopeful the same happens in human trials.

While Alzheimer's is closely associated with abnormal clumps and tangles of proteins damaging neurons inside the brain, their findings suggest the initial trigger for the disease could be an outside intruder slipping through a compromised brain boundary.

Researchers have discovered that naturally occurring lithium in the brain is depleted early in Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the prefrontal cortex, and that restoring physiological levels with lithium orotate in mice can prevent brain damage and memory loss.