Scientists have made a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research. The experts hope this will be an important step towards combating the disease.
Munich – Around 1.8 million people in Germany suffer from dementia. Although there are many different forms of dementia, according to the German Alzheimer Society, the most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease. An international team of researchers led by Lancaster University has now made a “promising breakthrough” in the development of drugs against the disease, the university said in a statement notice explained.
Researchers are developing Alzheimer’s medication that works in a targeted region of the brain
The researchers published the study in the specialist magazine Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association published. Scientists from the University of Southampton, Nottingham Trent University, the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center also took part in the research.
In the study, the researchers explain that they have developed for the first time a drug that acts on the two important aggregation-promoting “hotspots” of the so-called tau protein in the brain. The protein is one of the main factors for the neurodegeneration that is the classic clinical picture of Alzheimer’s dementia. As more neurons die, memory, thinking, and behavior become more impaired, leading to the cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease. It is therefore also important to detect Alzheimer’s disease early.
Alzheimer’s drug with “unique approach” is an “important step” according to researchers
The drug, called RI-AG03, was initially tested on fruit flies. It therefore effectively prevented the formation of tau proteins in the brain. Lead author of the study Dr. Anthony Aggidis said in a statement: “Our research represents an important step toward developing treatments that can prevent the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
The “unique approach” to target the two hotspots of the tau protein could help “address the growing impact of dementia on society and provide a much-needed new option to treat these devastating diseases.” With a few measures In some cases, illness can even be prevented.
Researchers hope that the new Alzheimer’s drug will have fewer side effects
Amritpal Mudher, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southampton, explained: “There are two regions of the tau protein that act like a zipper to enable aggregation.” The drug is able to effectively inhibit both regions. This mechanism may be the path “for more effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.”
The researchers hope to have fewer side effects than with previous drugs and are now planning to test RI-AG03 on rodents before the team moves on to clinical trials. (bk)
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