Century of Progress: How Far We’ve Come in Understanding Alzheimer’s
Ever since my Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I’ve been curious about how far we’ve come in understanding the disease. One afternoon, I found myself going through the Alzheimer’s Association website, and I came across a timeline of research milestones that genuinely surprised me. I hadn’t realized how long and how consistently science has been advancing in this field, or how many breakthroughs have already happened, because most people only recognize that there still is no cure. What started as a casual read turned into something much more eye-opening. Here’s what I’ve discovered about Alzheimer’s, from its beginnings to today.
Alzheimer’s was first discovered in 1906 by German physician Alois Alzheimer. Dr. Alzheimer’s patient: Auguste D. suffered from major memory loss, suspicions about her family, and other psychological damages. In her brain autopsy, Dr. Alzheimer noted her shrinkage and abnormal deposits in her nerve cells. From this discovery, Dr. Alzheimer changed the lives of many people and started a massive international research effort. From 1906, until 1970, scientists named the disease Alzheimer’s disease, and created new scientific tools to progress research initiatives. However it wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that research began to fully accelerate. Scientists started to realize that Alzheimer’s wasn’t just an inevitable part of aging, it was a distinct disease. Throughout this time, researchers identified the 2 major features of Alzheimer’s disease which are amyloid plaques and tau tangles, protein buildups that damage brain cells and interfere with the communication between them.
The next major breakthrough was in 1993, when the first drug tacrine (Cognex) was approved to help treat Alzheimer’s symptoms. Although it didn’t cure the disease, this marked an important step in pharmaceutical research. Around the same time, scientists identified the APOE-e4 gene, which increased the risk of developing the disease, and opened up opportunities for future testing.
Then, in the 2000s, research expanded significantly. New brain imaging techniques allowed scientists to track Alzheimer’s in living patients, most specifically the build of amyloid. This meant doctors could start seeing the disease early, before overt symptoms. Lifestyle studies also began to form, showing that habits like exercise, healthy dieting, and social activities could delay or lower the risk of cognitive decline.
The most groundbreaking development was in 2021, when the FDA approved Aducanumab, the first treatment designed to slow Alzheimer’s progression by targeting amyloid buildups. Although this wasn’t a cure, it was a huge moment in research because it proved that disease-modifying treatments were possible. Just 2 years later, in 2023, Lecanemab was approved as well. This had strong results in slowing Alzheimer;s and gave more hope to families like mine, who have felt powerless because of this disease.
Now, in 2025, billions of dollars have been raised for Alzheimer’s research. So far, a cure has still not been found, but various more treatments and drugs have come out to change the course of the disease for patients.These advances don’t reverse the damage but they offer something incredibly important as well. For people like my Grandma, and for millions of others living with Alzheimer's, every step forward matters. And after learning all of this, I feel hopeful because the story of Alzheimer’s isn’t over yet.
