Is THIS the drug that could finally stop Alzheimer’s symptoms? Breakthrough new treatment could ‘turn off’ the gene that helps cause the disease, scientists hope
Is THIS the drug that could finally stop Alzheimer’s symptoms? Breakthrough new treatment could ‘turn off’ the gene that helps cause the disease, scientists hope
- A single dose of ‘gene silencing’ treatment can reduce dangerous protein by 90%
- A breakthrough trial is currently taking place on 20 people, including four Britons
A groundbreaking new treatment for Alzheimer’s could “turn off” the gene that helps cause the disease, scientists hope.
A trial currently taking place on 20 people, including four Britons, uses a new technology called ‘RNA interference’ that stops cells from producing toxic proteins.
It has so far found that a single dose of the ‘gene silencing’ treatment – currently known as ALN-APP – can reduce levels of a dangerous amyloid precursor protein by 90 percent, with levels still 65 percent lower after six months .
The research follows recent scientific breakthroughs to tackle the disease, in which the drugs lecanemab and donanemab succeeded in removing the protein once it was already present.
However, the ALN-APP treatment goes a step further to prevent it from being produced in the first place by weakening the proteins that cause the disease.
A groundbreaking new treatment for Alzheimer’s could ‘turn off’ the gene that helps cause the disease (file image)
Dr. Catherine Mummery, the neurologist who led the trial in the UK, explained The times: ‘Instead of cleaning up the proteins, it’s about going upstream and preventing them from being produced in the first place.
‘If you only clean up the proteins that are already there, you have to constantly clean up the damage while the tap is still open.
“But if you turn off the tap, you have a much better chance of preventing further damage.”
About 850,000 Britons and 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.
The disease is the leading cause of dementia, a condition in which patients have a reduced ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with daily activities.
In April, a study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that dementia and Alzheimer’s were the leading causes of death in the UK in 2022, accounting for 65,967 deaths combined.
Results from a phase 1 trial were published last month at a conference in Amsterdam, showing the treatment is safe and has minimal side effects.
In the trial, six people received a placebo drug, while the remaining 14 received the real drug.
Neurologist Catherine Mummery (pictured) is leading the UK trial and hopes the treatment will stop the production of dangerous proteins in the first place
Amyloid proteins can stick together and form clumps, which later become plaques in the brain. It is thought to be toxic to brain cells.
Scientists hope the treatment can prevent patients from developing symptoms.
However, further testing is needed before it can be approved for NHS use.
While lecanemab and donanemab need to be given a few times a month, the new treatment, which is given by injection directly into the spinal cord through the lower back, will only be needed once or twice a year.
According to initial findings published May 3, donanemab has been found to halt a reduction in the ability to perform daily activities by up to 40 percent.
Less than a year ago, lecanemab was found to reduce cognitive decline in people with the memory-robbing condition by 27 percent. It was approved for use in the US on July 7, while the drug’s UK launch is “on the horizon.”
Donanemab works by removing plaque clusters from the brain known as amyloid, which are closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease.