Alzheimers disease is one of the great challenges of the 21st centuries. If it is not brought under control, it could pose serious economic and social challenges.
A new study however, seems to have reversed the damage of Alzheimers in laboratory mice. Since mice do have the closest response to medication compared to man, they are the best suited for such studies.
The drug that was tested is actually a cancer drug, called Bexarotene, which is used to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma. While the drug did show improvement of cognition deficit, it did not however have a clear effect on the amyloid plaques that damage areas of the brain, although most of them disappeared during treatment.
Amyloid plaques are toxic protein fragments that damage the neurons of the brain and is the cause of memory deficits that characterize Alzheimers and later the more severe symptoms that lead to death.
As the researchers put it : "While we were able to verify that the mice quickly regained their lost cognitive skills and confirmed the decrease in amyloid beta peptides in the interstitial fluid that surrounds brain cells, we did not find any evidence that the drug cleared the plaques from their brains."
The research however, is still ongoing, so that all the benefits of the drug might not yet be apparent. It is however a promising drug that merits continuation of the research effected so far.
Source : Science Daily 5.24.13
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