A drug developed for diabetes could be used to treat Alzheimer's after scientists found it "significantly reversed memory loss" in mice through a triple method of action.The tests were done with the diabetes drug because researchers hadn't found a new treatment for Alzheimer's in fifteen years and they thought it might be worthwhile to test drugs that had already been developed rather than spend time trying to develop new medications. Type 2 diabetes produces some effects in the brain similar to those of Alzheimer's and is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer's.
The research, published in Brain Research, could bring substantial improvements in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease through the use of a drug originally created to treat type 2 diabetes.
Lead researcher Professor Christian Holscher of Lancaster University in the UK said the novel treatment "holds clear promise of being developed into a new treatment for chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease."
Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer's Society, said: "With no new treatments in nearly 15 years, we need to find new ways of tackling Alzheimer's. It's imperative that we explore whether drugs developed to treat other conditions can benefit people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. This approach to research could make it much quicker to get promising new drugs to the people who need them."One hesitates to get too optimistic over reports like this, but this drug would be a tremendous blessing to millions of families around the world if it works. Let's get on with whatever further tests need to be done to see if the drug will work in humans and, if so, get it on the market as soon as possible.
Although the benefits of these 'triple agonist' drugs have so far only been found in mice, other studies with existing diabetes drugs such as liraglutide have shown real promise for people with Alzheimer's, so further development of this work is crucial."
Here's more from the article:
This is the first time that a triple receptor drug has been used which acts in multiple ways to protect the brain from degeneration. It combines GLP-1, GIP and Glucagon which are all growth factors. Problems with growth factor signalling have been shown to be impaired in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
In a maze test, learning and memory formation were much improved by the drug which also:
- enhanced levels of a brain growth factor which protects nerve cell functioning
- reduced the amount of amyloid plaques in the brain linked with Alzheimer's
- reduced both chronic inflammation and oxidative stress
- slowed down the rate of nerve cell loss