Gold nanoparticles, radiation combo may slow Alzheimer's

Chemists in Chile and Spain have identified a new approach for the possible treatment of Alzheimer's disease that they say has the potential to destroy beta-amyloid fibrils and plaque -- hypothesized to contribute to the mental decline of Alzheimer's patients. The researchers say the new technique, which they call a type of "molecular surgery," could halt or slow the disease's progress without harming healthy brain cells. The research is scheduled for publication in the Jan. 11 issue of the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters.