Could a PILL cure dementia? Scientists hail breakthrough after repairing diseased brain cells Scientists hail dementia breakthrough after repairing diseased brain cells. Scientists are a step closer to developing a pill to cure dementia. A team in Belgium were able to repair diseased brain cells taken from patients with a common form of the condition, for which there is no cure. They identified a gene variant that prevents neurons from forming properly, and managed to correct it through genetic engineering. The researchers found they could also correct alter the gene a compound that inhibited a chemical responsible for the gene mutation. They have hailed the discovery a breakthrough, believing it could pave the way for a new ‘dementia pill’.