A study found that combining antibody therapy with molecules found in some common foods may make treatment more effective and reduce side effects.
Despite decades of research, Alzheimer’s disease remains one of medicine’s greatest challenges. Current treatments can modestly slow the disease but often come with potentially dangerous side effects, leaving researchers searching for safer and more effective approaches.
Now, a new study suggests that combining existing Alzheimer’s antibody therapies with small molecules inspired by naturally occurring compounds found in foods such as grapes, berries, peanuts, and turmeric could improve treatment while reducing its risks.
In Alzheimer’s disease, toxic amyloid proteins accumulate in the brain. Researchers from the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy paired amyloid-targeting antibodies already used in clinical treatment with small molecules that also disrupt amyloid buildup. The combination more effectively neutralized the harmful protein clumps than either approach alone, pointing to a promising new combination therapy strategy.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia. Nearly 750,000 people in Canada are living with dementia, and that number is expected to reach one million by 2030. Although there is still no cure, anti-amyloid antibody therapies can slow disease progression. However, they also carry potentially serious side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding, highlighting the need for safer treatment options.
Lower doses may reduce risk
“We already know the small molecules resveratrol or curcumin, which are found in some common foods, block the buildup of amyloid,” said Dr. Praveen Nekkar Rao, a professor in the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo. “What’s new and exciting is our combination of these molecules with the anti-amyloid antibodies. This approach could allow clinicians to use lower doses of antibodies, potentially reducing the risk of serious treatment-related side effects.”
Because Alzheimer’s has so few effective treatment options, the Waterloo group examined whether combining two approaches could outperform either strategy on its own. They focused on resveratrol and curcumin because both natural compounds are known to reduce amyloid buildup and inflammation.
“I was inspired by chemotherapy, which involves taking multiple medications for effective treatment,” Nekkar Rao said. “Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, but there are very few combination therapy approaches. Our results show that the way forward is definitely combination therapy.”
Supplements are not the answer
The Waterloo group stresses that these findings do not mean people should take resveratrol or curcumin supplements to prevent or treat dementia. Reaching the brain would require unsafe amounts. The next stage of the work will focus on creating next-generation drugs that can enter the brain more effectively, interact favorably with amyloids, and work smoothly alongside antibody treatments.
Reference: “Combination of Resveratrol and Curcumin with Anti-Amyloid Monoclonal Antibodies Aducanumab and Lecanemab Leads to Greater Inhibition of Amyloid-Beta Aggregation” by William Le Boeuf, Ahmed A. Hefny, Rahul C. Karuturi and Praveen P.N. Rao, 20 February 2026, ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5c00760
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