When they say "the theory isn't entirely new" they are not kidding. Many other researchers have postulated that, as I mentioned in my last post, the amyloid plaques are not the cause of the disease. At least the USA Today article you posted mentioned the idea that "removal of the amyloid plaques can be dangerous." Researchers (who have been ignored) have said that they thought the plaques might be the body's attempt to stop the damage, and removing them is like ripping the bandage off a bleeding wound (making it worse). I don't remember what company it was fairly recently that was all excited about their drug that removed amyloid plaques in mice. When they tried it in humans, the people got dramatically WORSE very quickly -- evidence that the plaques are not the cause and indeed might be the body's attempt to stop damage.

PRAN tried an alternate theory of Alzheimer's and seemingly failed. Hopefully AVXL will be more successful. We certainly have had some hopeful preliminary results.