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Small molecule with a potentially big impact on Alzheimer's

Despite decades of research, a cure for Alzheimer's remains elusive. But work conducted in Europe suggests that the onset and progression of the disease could be prevented or slowed down by a molecule that mimics the activity of a critical protein (neurotrophin) affecting neurons in the brain.

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Health Innovation Funding Researchers Excellent Science Marie Skłodowska Curie actions Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing Germany

date:  18/02/2016

Project:  Stress cascades and Alzheimer's disease

acronym:  STRESSAMYLOIDCASCADE

See also:  CORDIS

Alzheimer’s current affects around 30 million people worldwide, and the figure is expected to rise as the population ages. The research, conducted in the EU-funded StressAmyloidCascade project, has demonstrated that drugs administered through the blood stream before the onset of Alzheimer-like symptoms in mice, can prevent age-associated cognitive impairments. The same treatment, based on a small-molecule synthetic compound called 7,8-DHF, also shows promise in slowing or even reversing cognitive decline after Alzheimer’s symptoms start to appear.

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