SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

Yousef al-Abed, chief of medicinal chemistry at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, designs medicines by creating novel molecular compounds.

In his latest work, al-Abed was looking for a way to target the amyloid plaques that clump together between neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers discovered the medicine, CNI-14493, can transform amyloid into a form that doesn't aggregate to form plaques in the brain and also neutralizes the toxicity of the amyloid.

Al-Abed, along with Michael Bacher and Richard Dodel of Marburg University in Germany, found the amyloid burden in the brain was reduced by 70 percent to 85 percent in areas hard hit in Alzheimer's patients -- the cortex and the hippocampus.

"It's very exciting", said al-Abed. "Developing medicines is like doing a puzzle. You stare at it and gamble. Then you test it and if you are lucky you succeed. We were lucky."

The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

 BREAKING STORIES

TV drama 'Mars' is set in NYC, circa 1973

USS Intrepid returns to NYC pier

Jets Show the Look of a Big-Play Offense

NYC using tides to produce power

Chicago, NYC most stressful U.S. cities

Lawyer says he is running for NYC mayor

Beckham unveils clothing line in NYC

Giants Defeat Redskins in Opener but Believe They Should Have Done More

NYC HIV spreading at triple the U.S. rate

Nuke plant increases NYC earthquake risk

Brett Favre Impressive in Limited Action in Debut

Lively: I love shooting 'Gossip' in NYC

NYC comedy club owner sues scary partner

Nerve stimulation used to treat sepsis

Lightning strike hospitalizes three men

Pool safety spotlighted in arrest

Rival NYC tabloids consider deal

NYC: Most fireworks injuries of children

Ready cement halted in NYC strike

Report: Madonna, Ritchie dine out in NYC