Findings may lead to the design of more targeted therapies and help explain the failure of clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease so far. The other was associated with the buildup of amyloid beta, considered a hallmark protein of Alzheimer’s disease. They were also connected to shrinkage in brain regions that support memory and, ultimately, to poorer memory performance. Different combinations of inflammation, blood vessel damage, amyloid buildup and other biological problems may produce similar patterns of brain damage and memory loss. They may lead to the design of more targeted therapies and provide one explanation for the failure of clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease thus far.