Breakthrough as researchers uncover potential new Alzheimer’s treatment

A potential new treatment target for Alzheimer’s disease has been identified after a novel technique improved cognitive function in mice with the condition.

Alzheimer’s disease is thought to result from the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. One of these proteins, amyloid, forms plaque around the cells.

In an early study, researchers from China and Spain described a “novel therapeutic strategy” using nanoparticles to target a protein called LRP1 on the blood-brain barrier – the protective membrane that controls what enters and exits the brain.

The technique induces a natural mechanism that removes amyloid from the brain.

The scientists reported that the treatment “significantly reduced” amyloid levels by nearly 45 per cent in mice, and that cognitive tests revealed “significant improvements in spatial learning and memory, with performance levels comparable to those of wild-type mice.”

The benefits lasted for up to six months after treatment, they said.

“This work pioneers a new paradigm in drug design,” the researchers wrote, adding that it “reaffirms the critical role of the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s disease” and “demonstrates that targeting the blood-brain barrier can make therapeutic interventions significantly more effective.”

Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “In Alzheimer’s disease, the protective blood-brain barrier can become less effective, causing damage to the brain.

“This study showed that using nanoparticles to restore the effective functioning of the blood-brain barrier resulted in the removal of amyloid from the brain in mice.

“It adds to the growing evidence that repairing the blood-brain barrier itself could offer a new way to treat Alzheimer’s.

“It’s too early to say if this method will work in people with Alzheimer’s – this study was carried out in mice, so there will be differences in how the disease develops in people. Future research will need to test whether this approach could be effective in treating people with Alzheimer’s.”

She added: “With over 1 million affected by dementia in the UK, we urgently need to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause dementia.

“If we are to treat dementia in the future, we will need a host of different treatments targeting different aspects of the disease. This type of research – while still early – is crucial for taking us closer to finding a cure.”

Francesco Aprile, associate professor in biological chemistry at Imperial College London’s Department of Chemistry, said: “The blood-brain barrier protects the brain, but it also makes drug delivery and waste removal more difficult.

“In this mouse study, researchers reprogramme a natural export pathway to help clear amyloid beta from the brain.

“It is quite innovative because instead of simply trying to push drugs in, they enhance one of the brain’s natural pathways to more efficiently remove Alzheimer’s toxic proteins.”