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Anti-depressant
drug Trazodone could help protect against Alzheimer’s
|
Scientists hope they have
found a drug to stop all neurodegenerative brain diseases, including dementia.
BBC
Health News report continues:
In
2013, a UK Medical Research Council team stopped brain cells dying in an
animal for the first time, creating headline news around the world.
But
the compound used was unsuitable for people, as it caused organ damage.
Now
two drugs have been found that should have the same protective effect on the
brain and are already safely used in people.
"It's
really exciting," said Prof Giovanna Mallucci, from the MRC Toxicology
Unit in Leicester.
She
wants to start human clinical trials on dementia patients soon and expects to
know whether the drugs work within two to three years.
Why might they work?
The
novel approach is focused on the natural defence mechanisms built into brain
cells.
When
a virus hijacks a brain cell it leads to a build-up of viral proteins.
Cells
respond by shutting down nearly all protein production in order to halt the
virus's spread.
Many
neurodegenerative diseases involve the production of faulty proteins that
activate the same defences, but with more severe consequences.
The
brain cells shut down production for so long that they eventually starve
themselves to death.
This
process, repeated in neurons throughout the brain, can destroy movement, memory
or even kill, depending on the disease.
It
is thought to take place in many forms of neurodegeneration, so safely disrupting
it could treat a wide range of diseases.
In
the initial study, the researchers used a compound that prevented the defence
mechanism kicking in.
It
halted the progress of prion disease in mice - the first time any
neurodegenerative disease had been halted in any animal.
Further
studies showed the approach could halt a range of degenerative diseases.
The
findings were described as a "turning point" for the field even
though the compound was toxic to the pancreas.
Safe drugs?
Since
2013, the research group has tested more than 1,000 ready-made drugs on
nematode worms, human cells in a dish and mice.
Two
were shown to prevent both a form of dementia and prion disease by stopping
brain cells dying.
Prof
Mallucci told the BBC News website: "Both were very highly protective and
prevented memory deficits, paralysis and dysfunction of brain cells."
The
best known drug of the pair is trazodone, which is already taken by patients
with depression.
The
other, DBM, is being tested in cancer patients.
Prof
Mallucci said: "It's time for clinical trials to see if there's similar
effects in people and put our money where our mouth is.
"We're
very unlikely to cure them completely, but if you arrest the progression you
change Alzheimer's disease into something completely different so it becomes
liveable with."
But,
although trazodone is a current medication, she added: "As a professional,
a doctor and a scientists, I must advise people to wait for the results."
What do the experts
think?
Dr
Doug Brown, from the Alzheimer's Society, said: "We're excited by the
potential of these findings, from this well conducted and robust study.
"As
one of the drugs is already available as a treatment for depression, the time
taken to get from the lab to the pharmacy could be dramatically reduced."
Dr
David Dexter, from Parkinson's UK, said: "This is a very robust and
important study.
"If
these studies were replicated in human clinical trials, both trazodone and DBM
could represent a major step forward."
Neurodegeneration
§ A neurodegenerative disease is one in which the
cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost
§ The functions of these cells include decision
making and control of movements
§ These cells are not easily regenerated, so the
effects of diseases can be devastating
§ Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Huntington's
Source: London Brain Centre
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