Advancements in the pharmaceutical industry are helping to turn the tide in the struggle against Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) recently introduced two classes of drugs that their research indicates are able to successfully target the peptides that cause Alzheimer’s. And better yet, these drugs cause minimal side effects to patients.
Insight into the Cause of Early Onset Alzheimer’s
In addition to the results of their drug research, these scientists also published case studies that reveal the molecular explanation for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, giving them confidence that the disease can be successfully controlled in the future. This information was recently published in the journal, Nature Communications.
The peptides in question are normally helpful antioxidants, but in the case of Alzheimer’s, they combine, forming a plaque-like matter that destroys neurons in the brain. The EPFL scientists created a drug compound that targets the peptide-producing enzyme — gamma secretase — ultimately producing shorter-length peptides that are unable to form into plaque.
Scientists Make Encouraging Advancements against the Disease
Patrick Fraering, Merck Serono Chair of Neurosciences at EPFL and one of the leads on the study commented on their work. “Scientists have been trying to target gamma secretase to treat Alzheimer’s for over a decade,” said Fraering. “Our work suggests that next-generation molecules, by modulating rather than inhibiting the enzyme, could have few, if any, side-effects. It is tremendously encouraging.”
Dirk Beher, scientific director of Asceneuron, a subsidiary of Merck Serono, the pharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, co-authored the study with Fraering and provided additional insight to their successful research. “We have obtained extraordinary knowledge about how gamma secretase can be modulated. This knowledge will be invaluable for developing even better targeted drugs to fight the disease,” said Beher.
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