Asthma medicine with potential for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
A widely used medication against Asthma seems to have potential for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This could lead in the future effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease to slow down or even completely can heal.
In the current study in the early stage, under the leadership of the University of Lancaster, the potential of the Asthma drug Salbutamol for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease was examined. The results were published in the English scientific journal “ACS Chemical Neuroscience”.
How widespread is Alzheimer’s?
Advertisement
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common Form of dementia is is. About 47 million people throughout the world are affected by the disease. Up to the year 2050 are expected to suffer even more than 130 million people have Alzheimer’s. These Figures illustrate how important it is to find an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Because so far, no method has been identified, which cure the disease or its progression may stop.
Tau Protein is particularly interesting for the research
Much of the research in the area of Alzheimer’s has so far focused on the formation of Amyloid Plaques, which are caused by a misfolding of the Amyloid-β Protein. Due to the disappointing results of numerous therapies, which are aimed at the Aggregation of this Protein, a shift in attention, however, increasingly to thaw, report the researchers.
More than 80 Compounds and drugs investigated
Advertisement
Through the use of a novel Screening approach, and a special analytical technique, a selection of more than 80 existing Compounds and drugs could be investigated simultaneously. Their effectiveness in preventing the formation of Tau should be determined-fibrils.
Treatment with adrenaline?
This method confirmed that the compound epinephrine better known as adrenaline, the Tau-stabilized proteins and the formation of Tau fibrils is prevented. Since our body is adrenaline does not start up, however, it is rapidly metabolized, the researchers examined then a number of readily available Compounds with similar chemical structure.
Candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
This research resulted in four current drugs as possible candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Etamivan, Fenoterol, dobutamine, and Salbutamol. It turned out that Etaminvan and Fenoterol have only a small influence on the build-up of Tau-tissue. Dobutamine, which is used for the rapid treatment of heart attacks and heart failure, proved to be beneficial.
As the effects of the drug persists only for a very short and it must be administered intravenously, it is used as a basis for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease ideal.
What is the use of Salbutamol-induced?
Advertisement
Further Tests with a number of analysis techniques have shown that Salbutamol can inhibit Tau Aggregation in vitro. Studies in which Salbutamol Tau-containing solutions was added, led to a dramatically reduced density of the fibrous Tau-structures for the neuro-fibrillary Tau tangles are responsible. Usually, the drug is used for the treatment of Asthma.
What is Salbutamol makes it so interesting?
The researchers suspect that Salbutamol interacts with an early stage of Tau fibril formation of inter and its ability to the formation of an initial nucleus is reduced, which is the aggregation process drives. Since Salbutamol can be easily included in the brain is absorbed and remains in the body, it has attractive properties as a potential new treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Secondary use of medicinal products
The research work highlights the possibilities of the use of drugs for secondary medical purposes – including the molecular pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, says the research group. This offers the advantage that the active substances have already been tested extensively, and their safety reviewed.
How safe is Salbutamol?
Salbutamol, for example, already been subjected to extensive security checks at the people. If follow-up studies that the Alzheimer’s disease progression in cell and animal models, it inhibits, it could be this drug interesting for further research, and at the same time, the cost and the time required for the typical drug development process can drastically reduce, add the researchers.
Further research is needed
Since the research work is currently still in a very early stage, it remains unclear whether Salbutamol in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in humans would be effective or not. The results to date justify further Tests of Salbutamol and similar drugs. This should be successful, could then be clinical studies in humans performed. (as)