Improvements in memory observed in mice with Alzheimer's-like conditions following treatment with a multiple sclerosis medication.
In a groundbreaking study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, researchers from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester have discovered that glatiramer acetate, a prescription drug used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), may have potential as a novel therapy for Alzheimer's disease.
The research, co-authored by Dawling Dionisio-Santos, Ph.D., a first-year resident in Neurology and graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program, and M. Kerry O'Banion, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Neuroscience and senior author of the study, suggests that glatiramer acetate could be a step in the right direction for a treatment to slow the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
The study found that when glatiramer acetate was administered to a mouse model of Alzheimer's, there were changes in microglia, part of the brain's immune system. These changes were linked to improvements in cognitive behavior in the mouse model.
Furthermore, the findings indicate that glatiramer acetate was associated with less amyloid plaques and modifications to tau pathology in the brain of the mouse model, suggesting that molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer's had been impacted.
While the research does not provide a cure for Alzheimer's, it offers a promising direction for future studies. The findings provide further evidence that therapies modifying the immune system could be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. The research extends our understanding about glatiramer acetate's potential use in Alzheimer's and supports trials that test the use of glatiramer acetate in patients at risk for developing Alzheimer's.
The research team that conducted the study was not explicitly named in the provided search results. However, the study was published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
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