For several decades it has been generally accepted that Alzheimer's disease is caused by the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain. These proteins form toxic aggregations known as plaques and it is these plaques that damage the brain.

Although doubts are growing regarding the veracity of the "amyloid hypothesis," the build up of these plaques is still the most prominent physiological sign of Alzheimer's. And one of the more interesting hypotheses going around suggests these damaging amyloid proteins originate in the liver.