China Faces Growing Alzheimer’s Challenge
Alzheimer’s disease is shaping up to be a serious issue for China. It already accounts for nearly 30% of all individuals with dementia-related conditions in the country. Coupled with an aging population and a declining birth rate, the strain on healthcare and social services is projected to increase considerably in the coming years.
In response, the Chinese government has implemented initiatives and allocated funding aimed at enhancing screening, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s by 2030. Research efforts are gaining momentum as well.
Scientists are exploring new medications and some, albeit controversial, surgical methods. The government is also promoting drug development that draws from traditional Chinese medicine. Meanwhile, researchers are intensifying their search for biological markers that could signal the onset of Alzheimer’s, including genetic factors that might help clarify how the disease develops and how to detect it early.
Despite investments not yet reaching the levels seen in the United States, the growing quality and pace of clinical and preclinical research have caught the attention of global researchers.
A neurogeneticist based in London, John Hardy, remarked, “Maybe China is the next place that will take the lead.”
Addressing the Core Issues
As of 2021, around 17 million people in China were estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, translating to roughly nine in every thousand individuals. Projections suggest that this figure could soar to as high as 66 million by 2050, or potentially exceed 100 million, further complicated by a low fertility rate that means fewer working-age individuals to support the growing elderly population.
Recognizing the impending challenge, Chinese authorities are actively courting highly productive researchers from abroad. Colin Masters, a neuropathologist from Australia, notes an influx of expatriates returning to major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, suggesting a significant focus on recruiting scientists who have experience overseas.
China has ramped up its spending across various research domains, with an investment of approximately $91.5 billion in basic and applied research slated for 2024. While funding for Alzheimer’s research represents a minor fraction of that, it is gradually increasing.
Weihong Song, a molecular neurobiologist, transitioned from a lab in Vancouver to lead a research institute focused on Alzheimer’s at Wenzhou Medical University. He has initiated a larger center devoted to regenerative medicine and brain health, employing over 800 scientists and backed by around $1.2 billion in local government funding.
Song indicates that in the last five years, close to a billion yuan (around $145 million) has been directed toward Alzheimer’s-focused research. To put it in perspective, the U.S. National Institutes of Health allocated $3.6 billion for such research in 2024 alone, which is considerably higher.
The spectrum of ongoing projects in China is quite wide-ranging. For instance, Keqiang Ye from Shenzhen University is developing a drug, BrAD-R13, which aims to mimic a vital protein that facilitates neuron communication. Individuals struggling with Alzheimer’s show diminished levels of this protein. BrAD-R13 works by activating a receptor crucial for neuron health, potentially lowering the risk of the amyloid plaques and tau tangles commonly associated with the disease.
Ye’s team is making headway in clinical settings, having completed safety testing for BrAD-R13 and planning efficacy trials in the U.S. and China this year.
The growth in clinical research activity is striking; in 2021, there were nine clinical trials specifically targeting Alzheimer’s treatments in China, jumping to 107 by 2024.
Another treatment in the pipeline includes a compound derived from Chinese celery, known as DI-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP). Preliminary studies suggest that NBP may elevate levels of the critical protein mentioned earlier and improve cognitive performance in test subjects, as well as diminish amyloid plaque accumulation in Alzheimer’s mouse models. A recent trial involving participants with mild cognitive impairment linked to Alzheimer’s indicated that NBP might alleviate symptoms to some extent.
Researchers are also exploring the effects of NBP when combined with other medications, such as donepezil or memantine, as well as testing it alongside a mix of traditional Chinese medicines.
Promising Surgical Advances
In a breakthrough from 2012, researchers at the University of Rochester uncovered a previously uncharted system responsible for clearing waste from the brain. Several teams in China are investigating whether this waste disposal mechanism, often referred to as the ‘glymphatic’ system, may become inefficient as people age, thereby contributing to the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
Xie Qingping, a microsurgeon, has developed a technique known as lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) aimed at treating Alzheimer’s. This surgery connects lymphatic vessels to veins to facilitate fluid drainage into the circulatory system. While it has been successfully applied for other conditions, it is now under evaluation for Alzheimer’s both domestically and globally.
Another team led by Zhenhu Ren is working on a variation called cervical shunting, which involves alleviating pressure in the cervical lymphatic system. As of August 2024, they have performed this on 20 patients, reporting positive outcomes, including improved function of the glymphatic system and enhanced cognitive test scores.
However, the procedure has found itself embroiled in controversy, with some hospitals overhyping its benefits, and others offering it without those necessary qualifications, according to Ren.
In July 2025, China’s National Health Commission prohibited the use of LVA for Alzheimer’s treatment until thorough clinical testing, currently being conducted by credible teams like Ren’s, is completed.
