Cancer drug stops Alzheimer's

Promising effect of a cancer drug against Alzheimer's

13.02.2012

US researchers were able to stop Alzheimer's disease in mice by treatment with the cancer drug Bexaroten. Paige E. Cramer of the Department of Neurosciences at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is talking about a breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease treatment.

Bexarotene, which has already been approved for the treatment of cancer, has led to a significant reduction in disease-causing protein deposits in the brain of mice within a very short time and caused a decline in Alzheimer's typical cognitive deficits, say the US researchers in the journal „Science“ the American Association of Cancer Research. The cancer drug showed a good efficacy against Alzheimer's in the mice, which hope for similar success in human Alzheimer's patients, so the statement of the US scientists.

Bexarotene reduces harmful protein plaques in the brain
In their study, US researchers investigated the effect of bexarotene on the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mice. They found that the drug reduced the so-called plaques (protein deposits in the brain, which are held responsible for Alzheimer's) within more than 72 hours by more than 50 percent. After two weeks of treatment with the anticancer drug, animals showed a 75 percent reduction in amyloid plaques, preventing further brain mass depletion and halting the spread of Alzheimer's disease. Since the communication between the brain cells was significantly improved by the degradation of the plaques already in the first hours after ingestion, the mental abilities of the animals increased again in a very short time. Bexarotene stimulated „the rapid reversal of cognitive, social and olfactory deficits and improved neuronal circuit function“, the researchers write around Paige E. Cramer. Only 72 hours after the first administration of bexarotene, the mice were able to build nests from shredded paper and completed memory tests just as well as healthy animals, according to the US researchers.

Unique effectiveness of the drug in Alzheimer's treatment
According to Paige E. Cramer are the current results „an unprecedented find“, because a comparable rapid and effective effect, both in terms of plaque reduction, and in terms of improving cognitive performance, is so far unique. The best to date Alzheimer's drugs, could only develop an effect on the protein plaques in the brain after months and showed no comparable with bexarotene effect, write the US researchers. The cancer drug acts on a docking site in the nucleus, which in turn affects the production of apolipoprotein E (ApoE). This apoE protein plays an essential role in the brain's elimination of harmful protein plaques. Alzheimer's patients typically have impaired breakdown of amyloid plaques, which leads to the formation of deposits in the brain that lead to serious impairment of cognitive performance in the long term. According to US researchers, bexarotene's effect on the nuclear docking site increases ApoE production, enabling successful treatment of Alzheimer's symptoms - at least in mice. Since the drug can cross the blood-brain barrier, it is also able to exert its effect directly in the brain.

Further research on Alzheimer's treatment with bexarotene required
Whether the Bexaroten approved since 2002 in Germany for the treatment of cancer (in particular certain forms of lymphatic gland cancer) also in humans a successful Alzheimer treatment is, according to the statement of the researchers so far not clarified. However, the results in the mice are quite promising. Also, there are generally fewer concerns about the already known as a cancer drug than to completely new substances. Because the side effects and risks in bexarotene are already known and relatively manageable. The researchers hope for a timely approval of a clinical study on the possibilities of Alzheimer's treatment with bexarotene in humans. „There is much to suggest that this approach could be successful in treating Alzheimer's disease“, Co-author Daniel Wesson of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine commented on the need for further research. (Fp)

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Picture: Slydgo