Posted on 11/03/2021 7:14:14 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Two drugs approved decades ago not only counteract brain damage caused by Alzheimer's disease in animal models, the same therapeutic combination may also improve cognition.
A promising series of early studies is highlighting two well known medicine cabinet standbys—gemfibrosil, an old-school cholesterol-lowering drug, and retinoic acid, a vitamin A derivative. Gemfibrosil, is sold as Lopid and while it's still used, it is not widely prescribed. Doctors now prefer to prescribe statins to lower cholesterol. Retinoic acid has been used in various formulations to treat everything from acne to psoriasis to cancer.
The two drugs are being studied for their robust impact on the brain and a potential new role that could one day thrust them into fighting what is now an incurable brain disease. Both medications have an uncanny capability to zero in on the brain's astrocytes, cells that originally got their name because they look like stars. But astrocytes are intimately involved in a key process that progressively—and insidiously—destroys the brain.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have found that astrocytes may be responsible for the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ), the gooey plaque that damages neurons. As a result, these star-like cells aid in the cascade of deleterious events that rob people of their sense of self, their memories, and ultimately steals their lives.
The team of medical investigators also has discovered that gemfibrozil and retinoic acid, when used in combination, force astrocytes to reverse their destructiveness, and instead reduce amyloid beta in the brain—improving cognitive function. The findings suggest that, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, these drugs can be repurposed to coax astrocytes into a beneficial role, serving as Aβ "clearing machines," eliminating the accumulation of plaques and preventing Alzheimer's from unraveling the brain.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Looks like another practical option will come available.
Today, all doctors do is prescribe something to manafe symptoms for something. Then prescribe other things to manage the symptoms of the things they just prescribed.
Actually fixing things is not what the medical model of today is. Perpetual repeat customers never getting better is what makes up “medicine” today.
Bttt
Why don’t you try commenting on-topic.
animal model. climate model. hmmm
why don’t you? Instead of being the posting police?
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“Perpetual repeat customers never getting better is what makes up “medicine” today.”
Years ago I interviewed a doctor who had discovered a cure for diabetes. When he tried to disclose his findings, they pulled his ticket.
Not even remotely similar.
Dog food has gotten quite expensive
A cure for diabetes? What was it?
The drug sellers and the FDA have more influence on how to treat illness than I ever realized before COVID.
You’re absolutely right. Atlanta did win the World Series.
If they don’t hurt people let them try it en masse.
Give it to Biden, so he can realize how much he sucks and shits his pants.
Be careful with any medical treatment for Alz.
A few days ago, I read here in FR about one medication for Alzheimers that commonly caused urine incontinence. That med was often treated with another, which then cause ‘explosive diarrhea’.
Think of the scores of old folks who had this condition, with unexplained fecal incontinence and spent their last few years having their dignity ripped away. Their families just assumed this was another behavior people with end stage Alzheimers have. There remains a great deal society simply doesn’t know yet about these brain diseases.
All one can do is to stay up to date on the latest information available.
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If this finding pans out it will be fantastic. Not just for the patients and their loved ones but for the cost of the healthcare system. Medicaid spends untold billions on caring for Alzheimer’s patients whiling away in nursing homes.
There may have been prophylactics for dementia on druggist's shelves that have been un-prescribed or unevaluated, at least...
A simple solution to dementia could mean a substantial drop in come to medical practioners who profit from dementia... ("Practioners" includes the people who investigate, design, manufacture, market, and prescribe drugs)
No one, in the food chain, likes to see their income source wither away...
We see, today, millions of medical practioners happily supporting, prescribing, and mandating an untested drug to the entire population of the globe...
In fact, now they are going after little kids as well...
For most politicians, this is about acquiring and enforcing power...
For the medical practioners it is about hundreds of billions of dollars in their pockets...
For some politicians it is about creating permanently mind-numbed serfs...
So, IMHO, S-A-M's post is relevant to this thread...
If this finding pans out it will be fantastic.
I think there’s a good chance this works.
Retinoic acid is very toxic to babies to be born.
It was a general rant about medicine that got triggered somehow by the thread. Not germane to AD or treatments thereof. Please spare us the rants on disorder-specific threads.
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