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A team of researchers has found that a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is potentially effective as a therapy for Alzheimer's disease. The team studied ponesimod, an oral medication that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat relapsing forms of MS. The medication reduces inflammation in the brain by targeting a specific receptor in the immune system to help regulate the body's response and prevent it from attacking the central nervous system. This receptor is activated by a lipid termed sphingosine-1-phosphate. Said Bieberich. "Since this drug is already in clinical use for therapy of...

Dr. Heather Sandison has recently published a groundbreaking study highlighting significant improvements in cognitive function among individuals with cognitive decline. The study is the second to employ a multimodal, individualized care plan and offers further hope for managing and potentially reversing cognitive impairment. The study focused on individuals with objective cognitive impairment (OCI), a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Sandison and her team recruited 34 participants from the San Diego, CA area to receive a comprehensive intervention based on potential contributors to cognitive decline, such as lifestyle changes, nutraceutical support, and medications. Over the course of six months, the participants...

An experimental Alzheimer's disease drug from Eisai and Biogen slowed cognitive decline in a closely watched trial but may carry a risk of dangerous side effects for certain patients, according to new data presented on Tuesday (Nov 29). The drug, lecanemab, was associated with a type of brain swelling in 12.6 per cent of trial patients, a side effect previously seen with similar drugs. Fourteen per cent of patients had microhemorrhages in the brain - a symptom linked to two recent deaths of people receiving lecanemab in a follow-on study - and five patients suffered macrohemorrhages. The companies said in...

For the first time, scientists have identified a rare population of potentially toxic senescent cells in human brains that can serve as a target for a new Alzheimer's disease treatment. Senescent cells are old, sick cells that cannot properly repair themselves and don't die off when they should. Instead they function abnormally and release substances that kill surrounding healthy cells and cause inflammation. Over time, they continue to build up in tissues throughout the body contributing to the aging process, neurocognitive decline and cancer. Research conducted by Orr in 2018 found that senescent cells accumulated in mouse models of Alzheimer's...

NIH research highlights importance of data-driven approach to identify novel drug targets. Existing and emerging cancer drugs could be repurposed as therapies to be tested in clinical trials for people at genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Research combining analysis of brain protein alterations in these individuals as well as laboratory experiments in animal models and cell cultures could help scientists identify existing drugs to test for their potential as Alzheimer’s interventions more quickly. The findings represent efforts from researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes...

Brigham and Women's Hospital will test the safety and efficacy of a nasal vaccine aimed at preventing and slowing Alzheimer's disease, the Boston hospital announced Tuesday. The start of the small, Phase I clinical trial comes after nearly 20 years of research led by Howard L. Weiner, MD, co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the hospital. The trial will include 16 participants between the ages of 60 and 85, all with early symptomatic Alzheimer's but otherwise generally healthy. They will receive two doses of the vaccine one week apart, the hospital said in a press release....

Amyloid protein (orange) forms clumps among neurons (blue). Amyloid in the brain is one of the proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but amyloid clumps in other parts of the body can cause other illnesses. _____________________________________________________________________________ New photo-oxygenation catalyst targets amyloid structure, recruits brain immune system cells. A small, light-activated molecule recently tested in mice represents a new approach to eliminating clumps of amyloid protein found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. If perfected in humans, the technique could be used as an alternative approach to immunotherapy and used to treat other diseases caused by similar amyloids. Researchers injected the...

A U.S. drug company did not openly share or perform further studies on a successful rheumatoid arthritis medicine that internal researchers suggested was reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 64 percent, according to Washington Post article published Tuesday. Researchers at Pfizer reportedly urged the firm to conduct a clinical trial after finding the potential hidden benefit of the anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel while analyzing insurance claims. It was estimated to cost $80 million to conduct the trial, and Pfizer decided to pass. Pfizer told the Post it did not pursue the clinical trial because its success rate would likely be...

...Yet a very small study out of UCLA is offering a glimmer of hope for those with what is often a hopeless diagnosis. Nine out of the 10 patients involved in the study, who were in various stages of dementia, say their symptoms were reversed after they participated in a rigorous program. The program included things like optimizing Vitamin D levels in the blood, using DHA supplements to bridge broken connections in the brain, optimizing gut health, and strategic fasting to normalize insulin levels. A few months after starting the extreme program, patients in the study, aged 55 to 75,...