July has pushed the race against dementia forward. From encouraging drug trials to powerful insights on air pollution and Artificial Intelligence, this month’s developments move us closer to a future where earlier detection, smarter prevention, and more effective treatments for dementia are within reach.
Here’s what’s been making headlines this month:
1. New drug could slow dementia progression
There have been promising signs from an early drug trial testing the effectiveness of a new drug called trontinemab. Results presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto, shared evidence that the drug can clear protein plaques linked to Alzheimer’s – faster than current drugs and with fewer side effects.
The next phase of trials will see what effect it has on symptoms and if it can reduce cognitive decline.
Study mentioned:
Roche presents new insights in Alzheimer’s disease research across its diagnostics and pharmaceutical portfolios at AAIC
2. What the Government’s 10-year NHS plan means for dementia
The UK Government’s new 10-Year Health Plan for England outlines a bold vision for healthcare by 2035, and it’s encouraging to see dementia as a key part. Within the plan there are some significant commitments that focus on diagnosis, treatment and prevention in both the short and long term which could mark real progress. This includes the introduction of Neighbourhood Health Services, speeding up new tests and treatments and offering practical measures which can help reduce the risk factors that drive dementia.
The plan sets the direction. Now the real work begins – turning that promise into action for those affected by dementia across the UK.
3. Air pollution link to dementia risk
A large-scale study by the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and the University of Cambridge has found that long-term exposure to air pollution can be linked to an increased risk of dementia. Now the evidence linking dementia and air pollution is growing, researchers are looking to understand the underlying mechanism, including two studies backed by Race Against Dementia.
These studies emphasise the urgent need for intervention beyond healthcare to address environmental factors that may be contributing to the rise of dementia cases.
Study mentioned:
The Lancet Planetary Health, Long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
4. New study offers fresh hope
A new study from the University of Edinburgh – led by Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Race Against Dementia Scientific Advisor, and Fellow Dr Claire Durrant – is shedding light on how Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) develops. The rare, progressive brain disease can cause dementia and movement problems.
The team discovered that tau, a toxic protein known to drive Alzheimer’s, spreads through synapses in PSP – damaging the connections that allow brain cells to communicate.
Finding tau inside these vital brain links gives us powerful clues into how the disease progresses. These insights bring us closer to treatments that could slow PSP down, helping people stay independent for longer.
Study mentioned:
Nature Neuroscience, Evidence for trans-synaptic propagation of oligomeric tau in human progressive supranuclear palsy (2025)
5. AI in dementia research
Artificial intelligence is transforming dementia research – from detection to diagnosis.
At the Mayo Clinic, a team of researchers, including Race Against Dementia Fellow, Dr Ellen Dicks have developed a new AI tool that has enabled doctors to interpret brain scans to make a specific dementia diagnosis nearly twice as fast than traditional methods. A faster diagnosis allows for timely access to treatment and support services.
Another study into the use of Artificial Intelligence has been conducted at the University of Cardiff, where researchers have revealed that machine learning can perform just as well as traditional methods in predicting Alzheimer’s risk.
Researchers found that these machine learning tools were able to identify known genetic markers and importantly, they discovered six new genes linked to Alzheimer’s risk, revealing that machine learning may be more effective in discovering genetic signals than older models. The study is the first of its kind to test this AI on a large scale, with genetic data from 41,000 people used.
Studies mentioned:
Neurology, An FDG-PET–Based Machine Learning Framework to Support Neurologic Decision-Making in Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (2025)
Nature Communications, Machine learning in Alzheimer’s disease genetics (2025)
6. New funding for Race Against Dementia Alumni
Congratulations to Dr Cara Croft, Race Against Dementia Fellow alumna, who has just been awarded a Dementia Research Leadership Fellowship by Alzheimer’s Society.
Her research which tracked the formation of harmful protein tangles (called tau knots) in real-time inside mouse brain tissue, revealed that they can also unravel. Tau knots are found in the brains of people with dementia and are linked to memory and thinking problems. This new funding will help Dr Croft to expand on this finding from her Race Against Dementia Fellowship, and look into how treatments could possibly speed up the unravelling.
Study mentioned:
Acta Neuropathologica, Photodynamic studies reveal rapid formation and appreciable turnover of tau inclusions (2025).
Science is accelerating, and each new development brings us closer to beating dementia.
