Medical researchers across the world seem to be a bit more optimistic now that they are at the start of a new era in treating Alzheimer’s Disease, which is untreatable as of now.
As preliminary results from a couple of advanced studies on new drugs are out the medical world is hopeful that progression of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed down. This comes as a ray of hope to treat a disease that has always been considered to be beyond the realms of treatment.
Trial results published by Japanese drug maker and researcher Eisai Pharma early this year from the trial of one of its latest drug candidates — Lecanemab, showed that it has been able to slow the cognitive decline characteristic of the disease. This is the first time a molecule has shown such an effect in patients.
Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that works by binding to a key protein called amyloid-beta that is linked to the disease and removing it from the body.
Another molecule Donanemab has also shown promising preliminary results from its trials recently. The findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed that Donanemab was able to slow clinical decline by 35 percent in people with early Alzheimer’s whose brain scans showed low or medium levels of a protein called tau. However, it had no effect in people with high tau levels.
Among the trial participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease and amyloid and tau pathology, Donanemab treatment significantly slowed clinical progression at 76 weeks.
Donanemab is an antibody therapy from the US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. It targets abnormal clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid that can build up in the brain. These drugs work best for those in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s and not for those with an advanced disease. Also these drugs may not be a complete cure and simply slowed the deterioration process,
There are two proteins that define Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers have been diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease by identifying amyloid beta plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles in the patients' brain. But this diagnosis is possible in the late stage of the disease progress.
These amyloid-targeting drugs are the first generation of therapies that directly affect the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, though they have shown some side effects, including bleeding and swelling in the brain.
New research and early detection — the rays of hope
Researchers from the United Kingdom and Belgium claim to have unveiled the process behind brain cell death in Alzheimer’s disease. This long-standing mystery has sparked scientific discussions for years. Their study, published in the journal Science, links the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain to a phenomenon called “necroptosis,” which is a type of cellular self-destruction.
These discoveries are remarkable and promising because they offer fresh avenues for potential treatments.
Researchers have found that an intranasal immunotherapy drug, currently being tested as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, reduced brain inflammation and improved cognition in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, independent of the amount of beta-amyloid plaques present. They say the treatment could benefit people in the later stages of the disease.
The researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US tested an intranasal monoclonal antibody therapy, currently being tested as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), to see whether it’s effective in reducing the neuro-inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are lab-made antibodies that bind to specific cells or proteins to enlist the help of the body’s immune system to fight disease.
Early Diagnosis
Early diagnosis is still a major challenge globally. Currently the diagnosis tools are not well structured, and also very costly. So mostly beyond the reach of the common people.
Therefore several researches are also underway, mainly for early diagnosis by finding biomarkers in the blood samples. The overall aim is to ensure a timely diagnosis so that more targeted and effective therapies can be identified.
Currently, detection of Alzheimer’s involves a series of tests including memory and cognitive tests. The doctors conduct tests to assess memory impairment and other issues with thinking skills to judge functional disabilities and identify ing behaviour changes is another method.
Research has found that amyloid begins to accumulate several years before the symptoms of dementia actually occurs. So an advancement in medical scans can help detect the amyloid at an early stage even when there are no symptoms.
The advent of new drugs coupled with early detection technologies, there is better hope now that this complex disease is also under our control. But there needs more patience still for the final outcome as the final studies are yet far.
(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)
First Published: Sept 22, 2023 12:18 AM IST
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