Alternative strategy for stalling Alzheimer's neurodegeneration (Cheap atomoxetine showed “significant effect on Tau”)

Medical Xpress / Brain / ^ | Dec. 22, 2021 | Allan I. Levey et al

[ConservativeMind]

Boosting levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine with atomoxetine, a repurposed ADHD medication, may be able to stall neurodegeneration in people with early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

This is one of the first published clinical studies to show a significant effect on the protein Tau, which forms neurofibrillary tangles in the brain in Alzheimer's. In 39 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), six months of treatment with atomoxetine reduced levels of Tau in study participants' cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and normalized other markers of neuro-inflammation.

The study points toward an alternative drug strategy against Alzheimer's that does not rely on antibodies against Tau or another Alzheimer's-related protein, beta-amyloid. A recent FDA-approved drug, adacanumab, targets beta-amyloid but its benefits are controversial among experts in the field.

Larger and longer studies of atomoxetine in MCI and Alzheimer's are warranted, the Emory researchers concluded. The drug did not have a significant effect on cognition or other clinical outcomes, which was expected given the relatively short study duration.

"One of the major advantages of atomoxetine is that it is already FDA-approved and known to be safe," says senior author David Weinshenker, Ph.D. "The beneficial effects of atomoxetine on both brain network activity and CSF markers of inflammation warrant optimism."

Researchers measured levels of dozens of proteins in participants' CSF; the reduction of Tau from atomoxetine treatment was small—about five percent over six months—but if sustained, it could have a larger effect on Alzheimer's pathology. No significant effect on beta-amyloid was seen.

In addition, in participants taking atomoxetine, researchers were able to detect an increase in metabolism in the medial temporal lobe, critical for memory, via PET (positron emission tomography) brain imaging.

[ConservativeMind]

Your doctor could repurpose this drug, if needed.

[ConservativeMind]

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[taterjay]

Your doctor could repurpose this drug, if needed.

Except for Joe’s doctor, make sure he does not use the drug for anything but ADHD. Can’t have any alternative uses for a medicine you know. Not FDA or Fauci approved you know.

[Pajamajan]

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