Health Issue: One Day Pills that boosts brain

One-a-day pill that boosts brain can halt Alzheimr's London: In a major break through, scientists have developed a single daily pill which they claim could halt Alzheimer's in its tracks - it stops brain cells from dying, boosting their numbers and sharpening memory.         Given early enough, the drug, known as P7C3, could prevent sufferes from reaching the devastating fianl staged of the disease, in which they lose the ability to walk, talk and even swallow, say the scientists. They have found the drug after testing more than 1,000 chemicals on mice.         In tests the drug boosted the production of cells in a part of thy brain critical to memory. Steven McKnight, of the University of Texas Southw eastern, who led an international team, said. "These mice are bad at making new neurouns. The question was, 'Canyou fix that?' And the answer to that was 'yes' "Not only did the new brain cells form, but they also worked properly, according to the findings.         In other experiments, the drug improved memory in ageing rats, making it easier for them to find their way through a maze. Further research showed that a dervative of the compound, called A20, had an even bigger impact on brain.