Insulin nose spray 'cures' Alzheimer's

Squirting insulin up the noses of patients with early forms of Alzheimer's disease may improve their memory, researchers have claimed.

Patients who got the treatment for four months showed improvements in tests of memory recall that lasted for two months.

"We believe our results are very promising and they warrant future trials," said Dr Suzanne Craft of the University of Washington.

Several studies have suggested that people with Alzheimer's have reduced levels of insulin in the brain, even in the earliest stages.

Insulin is important for communication between brain cells and is also needed for brain function.

Dr Craft's team wanted to see what would happen if they delivered insulin directly to the brain, via a nebuliser.

Current Alzheimer's drugs only treat symptoms, and so far no drugs have been shown to improve memory in patients with Alzheimer's.