Researchers in Germany have shown that the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC), administered in combination with laser irradiation, can reduce amyloid-β aggregation in human neuroblastoma cells. Previous animal studies have indicated that ECGC can cross the blood–brain barrier, and that near-infrared laser light can penetrate several centimeters into the brain. Taken together, these findings raise the possibility of developing this approach as a therapy for Alzheimer disease.