Skip to main content

An experimental drug could help fight memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients

An experimental drug that was developed to treat depression could also help battle the memory loss effects associated with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles have discovered. In tests involving mice, a team from UCLA’s Drug Discovery Lab showed that the “A03” drug increased brain levels of a particular enzyme which improves memory. The mice in the study had been genetically modified to have a protein called ApoE4, which is the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. By giving them the drug, the researchers found that it resulted in improved memory, suggesting that it might be useful for cognitive improvement in Alzheimer’s patients.

“About two in three people with Alzheimer’s have the ApoE4 variant, and so this experimental drug candidate could be tested in human subjects after additional preclinical testing is completed, especially in Alzheimer’s patients carrying the ApoE4 variant,” Varghese John, a medicinal chemist and associate professor of Neurology at UCLA, told Digital Trends.

Recommended Videos

The mice in the study were treated for 56 days, during which they saw increased levels of the positive enzyme, called SirT1, in the hippocampus region of the brain one, of the main brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s. In addition, they found that the mice showed improvement in memory tests.

At present, an estimated 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Worldwide, that number rises to around 50 million and someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds. Although there has been promising research in both ways to diagnose and potentially treat Alzheimer’s earlier on, so far there has been no proven cure or effective treatment that is capable of stopping its progression.

This latest piece of research is still at its relatively early stages, but if its findings can be replicated in humans it could turn out to be a game changer. To take this work forward, the researchers are now carrying out additional preclinical testing on A03 to evaluate its potential. They are also looking at variations of the drug to see if any of them are more effective than the parent molecule. Hopefully, a clinical trial will follow in the near future.

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Luke Dormehl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
How to buy Bitcoin
Faux bitcoin coin on a laptop.

Bitcoin is increasingly seen as a strong store of value, and a there are a range of different ways you can take advantage of its big swings in price to generate some profit for yourself, or create a digital nest egg for the future. But futures and ETFs aside, if you want to own your own Bitcoin, and follow the mantra of "Not your keys, not your coins," then you'll need to buy Bitcoin directly.

Fortunately, buying Bitcoin today is more straightforward than ever before, with a wide range of methods for doing so. Here's our favorite.

Read more
New report claims the PlayStation VR2 is in serious trouble
A side view of the PlayStation VR2, which sits on a wood table.

There have been a lot of signs that Sony hasn't been investing a lot of resources into VR, specifically its PlayStation VR2 headset, and according to a new report, the situation might be worse than previously believed.

In an Android Central article published Thursday, sources said that Sony was slashing budgets related to VR and that there would be "very few opportunities for VR game development" in the future. Another source mentioned that there were only two PSVR2 games in development at the company.

Read more
Wondershare Filmora: Understanding the Gen Z talent shaping influencer culture
Wondershare Filmora Gen Z in Action featured image

It is often said that younger generations can sometimes be hard to understand, in their approach to life and motivations. When it comes to modern influencer culture, content creation, and new, emerging technologies like AI, that indeed remains true. But thanks to a just-released documentary from Wondershare Filmora -- called Gen Z in Action -- we may have finally cracked the code. Okay, forgive my dry humor there. My generation is just as anomalous to older folks. The real focus here is Wondershare's documentary.

Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, it features in-depth reviews with over a dozen Gen Z content creators who have found success in their fields, including music, photography, and even cosplay. It delves into the lives of those creators, showcasing and honoring their dedication to their craft and personal innovations and exploring the unique challenges they face in today's hyper-digital landscape.

Read more