Researchers from Lancaster University in UK revealing that there’s a drug commonly used for treating diabetes may reverse symptoms of late-stage Alzheimer’s disease and now in the process of entering a major clinical trial. The drug may prevent the build up of toxic plaques on the brain that contribute to symptoms of the disorder.
The drug from Liraglutide class known as GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) analogue. The drug is prescribed to those suffering from diabetes ans is used to stimulate insulin production.
The study from journal Neuropharmacology shows that the drug can also pass through the blood-brain barrier and protect brain cells. The result based on the brains of 14 month old mice who were suffering from late stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Drug for Alzheimer’s treatment
During the research, the mice demonstrated a significantly better performance on object recognition tests and their brains showed a 30% reduction in the build up of toxic plaques.
Professor Christian Holscher, told Medical News Today about their drugs work :
“Liraglutide activates receptors on neurons that set a growth-factor type of signaling cascade in motion.
This means that the cell repair of neurons is improved, the energy metabolism is normalized, and synapses are kept functional. Oxidative stress is reduced, and growth and replacement of neurons is improved. The brain is much better placed to cope with stress and toxic influences.”
Prof. Holscher said that the mouse model showed that the key biomarkers of the disease such as aggregation of beta-amyloid to form plaques in the brain, memory impairments, loss of synapses, loss of synaptic activity and the development of a chronic inflammation response in the brain were much reduced.
He also told Medical News Today that if this drug shows the same protection of neurons in the brain that it shows in mouse models of Alzheimer’s then they will have created the first treatment for patients that protects neuronal function and activity, memory and synaptic numbers while reducing amyloid plaques and the inflammation response in the brain.
Source : MedicalNewsToday