Ever so often we hear about scientists discovering new uses for common medicine. It is possible because of extensive research, looking back at what is readily available. In this way it is possible to avoid additional experiments and tests. Now scientists from UCL conducted a research, showing that a common glaucoma drug could be very useful treating Alzheimer’s disease.
This drug, known as brimonidine, is usually used to treat the common eye disease glaucoma, because it is able to lower eye pressure. Scientists conducted some experiments with mouse models and showed that it can be used to treat Alzheimer’s patients as well.
Experiments with mice showed that brimonidine reduce the formation of amyloid proteins in the retina, which are believed to be linked to Alzheimer’s.
Not many people know that amyloid plaques can be seen in the retinas of people suffering from the disease, but it actually helps diagnosing and tracking the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Research showed that brimonidine the levels of beta amyloid in the eye, which results in reduced neurodegeneration of cells in the retina.
Brimonidine stimulates the production of an alternative non-toxic protein. It does not kill the nerve cells, which helps slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. At least in theory – this effect has only been testes on eyes.
However, scientists hope that the same effect will be visible when they come to testing this drug on brain.
Scientists stress that this is about time humanity comes up with an effective treatment for the Alzheimer’s disease. Human population is growing, but some other significant changes are taking place as well.
Professor Francesca Cordeiro, leader of the study, said: “As we live longer, there will be increasing demand for therapies that can help challenge this extremely damaging disease and we believe that our findings can make a major contribution”. The next step for the research is to test the effects of brimonidine on the brain affected by the Alzheimer’s disease.
We are rapidly moving towards curing diseases previously considered incurable. However, as fast as this pace seems to be, it may not come soon enough, because western population is getting older and older. Eventually, if breakthrough treatments are not developed in time, it may have irreversible consequences.
Technology.org
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