Inhaling xenon gas could be potential effective Alzheimer's treatment, researchers believe

Experts are hopeful that inhaling xenon gas could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, as clinical trials are set to begin.

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness that affects not only the sufferer but their loved ones too. Now, experts from Mass General Brigham and Washington University are hopeful that they are on the verge of discovering a new treatment for it.

Researchers from the institutions found in a study that mice who were suffering from Alzheimer’s-like conditions experienced less brain inflammation and slower brain atrophy when they inhaled xenon gas – a noble gas that is already used as an anaesthetic and is also involved in medical imaging.

The experts also noted a reduction in the amount of amyloid plaque in the brain. Amyloid plaque is made of deposits of proteins called beta-amyloids, which are a typical feature of Alzheimer’s.

Researchers believe this may be due to the xenon gas firing up the brain’s immune cells that then protect it.

It is thought the reason xenon gas may be a viable treatment is because it behaves with the Blood-Brain Barrier. The barrier is a complex layer of cells that separates the blood that’s circulating in the brain from the brain tissue itself.

The barrier is there to protect the brain from substances that may harm it, but xenon gas is able to pass through it.

It is hoped that the same positive outcomes seen in mice will also be true for humans. Phase one of human trials is due to start in 2025.

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