For decades, Alzheimer’s research has largely focused on easing symptoms. Now, a new wave of studies is asking a deeper question: can the disease be prevented before memory loss begins? As Alison Abbott reports in Nature, several major clinical trials are testing antibody-based drugs that target the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, long before cognitive symptoms appear.

These experimental antibodies are designed to target and remove amyloid-β, a protein that tends to cluster together and form plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s pathology. Whereas traditional treatments address memory loss and cognitive decline after they occur, this new strategy aims to intervene years earlier, potentially halting the disease before it takes hold.

Of the more than 100 Alzheimer’s trials underway worldwide, most still focus on managing symptoms. The current generation of preventive studies stands out by targeting what many researchers believe to be the root cause. Abbott highlights projects such as the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN), which help scientists pinpoint when and how the disease begins, and whether early intervention can delay or even prevent symptoms.

Animal studies offer reason for optimism: in genetically engineered mice, early treatment with amyloid-clearing antibodies has sharply reduced plaque buildup and signs of neurodegeneration. Researchers now hope human trials will yield similar results.

If early intervention proves effective, it could reshape how clinicians detect, monitor, and treat Alzheimer’s. Although challenges remain, including cost, safety, and the need for long-term evidence, these preventive trials represent a turning point in Alzheimer’s research and reflect a growing conviction that the best treatment may start long before the first symptoms appear.