![The combination of the generic drug rifampicin and the dietary supplement resveratrol, and the intranasal administration of them with a nasal spray, would enable safer and more effective prophylaxis against dementia. Credit: Takami Tomiyama Stopping dementia at the nose with combination of rifampicin and resveratrol](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/stopping-dementia-at-t.jpg)
Dementia is thought to occur when proteins called amyloid-β, tau, and α-synuclein accumulate in the brain and form oligomers. A research group from the Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, had previously shown in a study using mice that the antibiotic rifampicin removes oligomers from the brain and improves cognitive function. However, the drug has been associated with side effects such as liver damage. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring antioxidant in plants, is used as a supplement in Europe…