Organ transplant drug may slow Alzheimer's disease progression (Rapamycin (Rapamune) helped regulate neurons)

Medical Xpress / Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania / Brain ^ | May 1, 2024 | Aaron J Barbour et al

[ConservativeMind]

Protein imbalances that increase brain cell excitability may explain why individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who also experience seizures demonstrate more rapid cognitive decline than those who do not experience seizures. These imbalances may be present in the brains of individuals before the onset of AD symptoms.

The team found that an existing drug called rapamycin, initially developed as an immunosuppressant for organ transplant patients that suppresses signaling between neurons, was able to regulate the over-excited neurons in mouse models of AD and seizures, and preserve cognitive function, like memory and the ability to learn new things.

"Experts used to believe that seizures were an unfortunate byproduct of the neurodegeneration that causes Alzheimer's disease, but now we see that seizures are actually advancing the disease itself," said Frances E. Jensen, MD.

"Now that we have identified the mechanisms that cause neurons to get over-excited and lead to seizures that accelerate AD, we can explore therapies, like rapamycin, that can reverse the imbalance, and slow AD progression."

In a healthy brain, two neurotransmitters work together to manage the messaging between neurons. Glutamate is responsible for excitatory signaling from one cell to the next, telling neurons when to send a message. GABA manages inhibitory signaling that makes the cell less likely to fire, telling the cell when to stop signaling.

In this study, researchers evaluated post-mortem tissue from people with AD who also experienced at least one seizure and found that certain forms of these neurotransmitters were dysregulated. These neurons in these individuals exhibited increased excitability and suppressed inhibition, which result in the brain sending more signals between neurons than it needs to, a state that researchers refer to as a "hyperactive brain." Medical histories of these patients also confirmed worse cognitive evaluation scores than peers with AD but no seizures.

[ConservativeMind]

This is currently available and can be found as low as $35 a prescription.

[ConservativeMind]

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[KarlInOhio]

Can't be. I've learned from the FDA that drugs only have one purpose, so don't take Rapamycin for Alzheimer's and don't take horse paste for the WuFlu.

[jimwatx]

It also may have the added benefit of extending your lifespan.

Rapamycin: Extending Health Span and Life Span
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9173851/

[Songcraft]

And if that doesn't work, then just do the organ transplant.


      


(Just kidding!   I appreciate all your health-related threads, and this one is interesting too.)

[telescope115]

Darn. I was hoping it was Tacrolimus. That’s OK, I’m grateful as it is…🙂👍

[TribalPrincess2U]

TV commercial ...
“Be sure and ask your doctor if you need rapamycin”.

[snork55]

Waiting for all the diabetics to start screaming this is for transplants it can’t be used for alzheimers in the same vane they scream about ozempic and wegovy...