Researchers have discover that a drug currently used to care for cancer may also be efficacious at preventing the development of Alzheimer ’s disease . Though the compound in enquiry – call bexarotene – has been feel to be ineffective at treating the status once symptoms have presented themselves , a new field hint that it could stave off the disease if administered before these tell - story signaling come out .
Alzheimer ’s is a degenerative neurological condition that takes place when protein calledamyloid - betaclump together to form plaques , which get hurt to neurons in the brain . prevent or turn this process has therefore been identified as a potential tract for the treatment of the disease .
release their findings in the journalScience Advances , scientists from the U.K. , Sweden , and Holland sought to identify compounds that might be up to of achieving just that . In particular , they focused on discover a way to prevent the self - assembly of a particular type of amyloid - genus Beta , scream amyloid - beta-42 , into brass , as this var. has been present to be amajor driverof Alzheimer ’s .
To do so , they look through four diminished - particle database to identify 16,850 molecule which contain groups that are likely to react with amyloid - beta-42 protein . In doing so , these compound may be able of preventing the collection of these protein by stop them fromfolding in on themselves – a process called nucleation . Of the huge turn of molecules identified , 386 were already FDA - sanction drugs , some of which had antecedently been trialed as possible treatments for Alzheimer ’s .
While all of these had been hold over after failing to run these trial , the squad behind this a la mode survey suspected that their lack of succeeder may have been partially down to a dearth of noesis about how amyloid - beta proteins aggregated to form plaques . In 2012 , the same investigator published apapersuggesting that this may occur in several stages , with the misfolding of protein correspond the initial phase .
According to their newspaper , this is followed by a " secondary nucleation " point , during which these initial plaques provide a open that catalyse the formation of further brass . The research worker therefore suggest that in fiat to treat Alzheimer ’s , it may be necessary to keep main nucleation from taking place , and hypothesize that previous trials may have fail because drugs were administered once this had already occurred . In other Word , these trial had sought to prevent lowly nucleation , rather than elementary nucleation , from occurring .
Amyloid plaques are a major mark of Alzheimer ’s . Juan Gaertner / Shutterstock
Among the FDA - approved chemical compound identified by the research worker was bexarotene , which the investigator administered to nematode insect – model lab organisms – that had been genetically engineered to originate amyloid - beta plaque . In the absence seizure of the drug , the worms became ineffectual to bend after two day , as the formation of these plaques around their muscularity bequeath them paralyzed . However , the administration of bexarotene to grow worm caused this to occur after nine days , suggesting that the drug slacken down but did not prevent the shaping of these plaque .
When administer during the larval degree of the nematodes ’ life cycle , the development of plaques was completely averted , indicate that the drug may be effective at preventing Alzheimer ’s from develop if used before primary nucleation occurs .
Although this event has so far only been observed in nematode worm , the researchers are hopeful that bexarotene could be used to regale Alzheimer ’s in humans . Indeed , study coauthor Chris Dobson said in astatementthat if the drug “ contract the risk of the initial footprint in the process , then it has a serious expectation of being an efficient preventive treatment . ”
