Future Timeline has removed its prediction about a cure for Alzheimer's disease by 2036

Submitted by ixfd64 t3_11q1zk4 in Futurology

Future Timeline used to have a prediction that Alzheimer's disease would be "fully curable" by 2036: https://web.archive.org/web/20220713103616/https://futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2036.htm

However, the entry seems to have been removed sometime between July and October 2022 based on Wayback Machine snapshots. Could this be related to the recent scandal involving faked data?

I must say I've always thought a cure by 2036 was a little optimistic because Alzheimer's is still one of the least understood diseases.

97

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

lifeaintsocool t1_jc10aop wrote

I'm curious if it has to do with the major blow Alzheimers research took when it was discovered that a big chunk of our understanding was based on fabricated data.

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/alzheimers-research-fraudulent-data/

68

Winjin t1_jc13dp9 wrote

Probably it is. We're basically back a couple steps in our understanding. Though with the ultra rich growing older, we'll probably see research funded by them to make it faster

22

QiPowerIsTheBest t1_jc1k9r0 wrote

Pretty sure the ultra rich have always been getting older and replaced by younger generation? What would be changing now?

19

JefferyTheQuaxly t1_jc1s4o5 wrote

the boomer generation is unaturally wealthy. millenials are poorer than our parents solely because of how much wealth the older generations are currently hoarding. on top of the elderly making one of our biggest segments of our population since a ton of children were born after WW2. also on top of science advancing at one of fastest rates in human history making it possible to start funding these crazy research projects or methods of increasing longevity.

21

FatalExceptionError t1_jc1m2u5 wrote

They’re hoping the state of modern science combined with their immense west will give them extended or even eternal life.

2

NovelStyleCode t1_jc2yows wrote

It wasn't anywhere as big a blow as people made it out to be, the truth is that researchers had been suspicious for a very long time and many other avenues were being investigated simultaneously,

3

MuForceShoelace t1_jc1wqnu wrote

We discovered a kind of plaque that builds up during alzheimer's so for a while there was a very plausible "so if we clear that out, we cured the disease, right?" that made it seem like the cure was in sight. But then we found drugs that cleared it and it didn't really improve anything. The drug still came out, there was a bunch of fraud where it tried to claim smaller and smaller effects, then just came out as being a totally do nothing drug. So now the research is back to "we have no idea how to treat this"

13

ixfd64 OP t1_jc2eteq wrote

It's quite frustrating that all that time and money have gone to waste. :-(

2

rafa-droppa t1_jc2l2bd wrote

eh you never know, understanding how the plaque works and how to get rid of it may yield something beneficial in the future.

4

cstobler t1_jc2o3i7 wrote

Exactly. In addition, the effort is never wasted. If we wouldn’t have looked into that direction, we never would have determined whether it was a viable solution or not. It’s all part of the process of research.

6

apeters89 t1_jc3m682 wrote

Reminds of the Edison legend where he "found 1000 ways to not make a light bulb."

2

norby2 t1_jc7bugo wrote

That’s actually a good place. Blank slate, know what doesn’t work.

1

Fishermansgal t1_jc1mnio wrote

I've been reading a lot about metabolism since my mother's death to type 2 diabetes. In those discussions, Alzheimer's disease is infrequently described as type 3 diabetes. I think maybe the cure for type 2 diabetes and many cases of Alzheimer's is so unpalatable that they've decided not to discuss it.

If we all suddenly stopped buying food-like products much of our economy would collapse.

5

goldygnome t1_jc1yjly wrote

I've heard similar lately, that it could be a side effect of the body failing to process glucose as we age, leading to mitochondria damage in brain cells, so in effect it' could be related to diabetes. I don't have details, just seen it mentioned twice now over the past few months from different sources.

4

limitless__ t1_jc229js wrote

It certainly could, yes. At this point we're back at ground zero in Alzheimer's research. Perhaps once the scientists look at the data without the bogus research the real cause will pop right out and we'll have a potential treatment path in a few years or it could take another 30 years to get where we need to go. There's no way to tell at this point.

2

DeNir8 t1_jc316qi wrote

Did anyone try to simply stop with sugar and all the refined crap?

0

twasjc t1_jc33ea0 wrote

High dose of CBD oil clears the receptors that cause alzheimers

−15