Although there is currently no way to stop Alzheimer’s disease, there are also some current treatments that can help address the symptoms, such as behavioral changes and memory loss. There are some very promising clinical trials for new drugs that may eventually help slow it.
If someone you love has Alzheimer’s, or you’re worried about developing itself, here are some of the trials underway that may change how we prevent or treat the disease.
Drugs that target toxic proteins
A key characteristic of Alzheimer’s the buildup of beta-amyloid and tau proteins, which create plaques in the brain that hinder communication between cells.
Not surprising, 52% of the phase III clinical trials on Alzheimer’s are focused on testing drugs that target these two proteins.
Therapies that target toxic proteins and aging processes
There are a few earlier phase trials that target not only the two proteins, but also the aging processes that may exacerbate the disease.
The include processes such as:
• Changes in gene regulation
• Metabolic dysfunctions (these can cause cellular damage within the brain)
• a decrease in synapses (the connections between brain cells which help them communicate)
• vascular dysfunction (less oxygen to the brain means more cognitive issues)
• chronic inflammation (which has been linked to decreased blood flow to the brain and a thinning of the cerebral cortex)
“Our success in fighting Alzheimer’s disease will likely come from combination therapy—finding drugs that have positive effects on thermal functions that happen as people age,” explains Dr. Howard Fillit, a specialist from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and senior author of a new review published in the journal Neurology.“Combination therapies are the standard of care for other major diseases of aging, such as heart disease, cancer and hypertension, and will likely be necessary in treating Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.”
