SAN ANTONIO: Two licensed drugs have been shown to halt brain degeneration in mice, raising the prospect of a rapid acceleration in the search for a medicine to beat Alzheimer’s disease.
The results have been hailed as “hugely promising” because they involve medicines that are already known to be safe and well-tolerated in people – potentially cutting years from the timeline for drugs to reach patients.
The scientists have chosen not to name the two drugs, which are currently used for conditions unrelated to dementia, to avoid the possibility of patients seeking to use them ahead of any clinical trial to prove their efficacy.
The findings build on a landmark study two years ago, showing that brain cell death could be halted in mice by switching off a faulty signal in the brain that stops new proteins being produced.
However, the breakthrough relied on a compound that had severe physical side effects including weight loss and diabetes, making it unsuitable for use in humans.