a cure for alzheimer’s?

by Dave Harney

There was exciting news from a team of scientists in Melbourne, Australia, recently. They have discovered a compound called PBT2 that they think may be able to cure Alzheimer’s Disease. The researchers believe the drug has the potential to delay the onset of the disease or slow down its progression. Current tests of the drug have only been done in mice, but they have proven very successful in preventing the buildup of the amyloid protein linked to the disease. Amyloid beta is a protein fragment that is the main constituent of amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Levels of this protein dropped by 60% just 24 hours after administration of a single dose of the drug, and memory performance improved within 5 days. Human tests are due to start this month in Australia and Sweden, and will be followed by a major international clinical trial next year.

There’s more good news -- preliminary tests in humans have shown that the drug does not cause any major side effects.

In mouse studies using the Morris Water Maze Test, it was demonstrated that PBT2 could quickly and significantly improve spatial memory – an important barometer of cognitive function in seven-month old genetically engineered mice that serve as a model for Alzheimer’s disease. The Morris Water Maze Test involves remembering the location of a submerged platform, requiring the mouse to employ higher-level learning and spatial memory skills in order to successfully navigate the maze.

“This data is compelling and very exciting because it shows that PBT2 not only may facilitate the clearance of amyloid beta from the brain or prevent its production, but more importantly, may improve cognition,” stated Dr. Ashley Bush of the Australian research team. “On the basis of the multiple encouraging results achieved to date, demonstrating that PBT2 has a rapid and potent mechanism of action, Prana Biotechnology Ltd. is initiating a Phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of PBT2 in Alzheimer’s patients.”

Alzheimer’s disease affects about 4.5 million Americans, gradually destroying a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate, and carry out daily activities, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The disease is eventually fatal.

There have been many false starts on a cure in the past; however it is believed a cure, such as PBT2, can and will be found eventually. “Outstanding progress has already been made in unraveling the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. “New understandings about these processes have already provided critical information about how doctors might prevent, delay, stop, or even reverse the nerve cell damage that leads to the devastating symptoms of Alzheimer’s.”