New Compound Restores Memory Function in Alzheimer’s Cases
Instead of focusing on fighting the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, researchers decided to explore the possibility of increasing electrical oscillations in the brain. They created a molecule that successfully achieved this in mice, offering hope for a new treatment approach in humans.
Rethinking the Role of Brain Plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease
It’s increasingly clear that brain plaques are a symptom, not the cause, of Alzheimer’s. Yet, most treatments target plaque removal. FDA-approved drugs like lecanemab and aducanumab may slow cognitive decline but can’t reverse the disease’s impact on memory and cognition.
These treatments may clear brain plaques, but they don’t fix the underlying neuronal circuit and mechanism changes, says Istvan Mody, professor of neurology and physiology at UCLA Health.
The Potential of Gamma Oscillations in Alzheimer’s Therapy
Mody and his team explored gamma oscillations—high-frequency brain waves tied to memory—which are often degraded in Alzheimer’s patients. Previous studies showed that mimicking these oscillations with auditory, visual, or transcranial signals reduced plaques. However, no cognitive improvement was observed.
Promising Results from Mouse Studies
This time, the researchers sought to boost gamma oscillations from within, rather than outside, the brain.
They created DDL-920, a compound that inhibits GABA, which normally reduces gamma oscillations in parvalbumin neurons. By blocking GABA, researchers expect to normalize gamma oscillations and improve memory and cognition.
In tests on mice, that is exactly what happened. When mice genetically modified to have Alzheimer’s disease were given the compound, their previously poor performance in a maze improved to equal that of healthy mice. Additionally, it only took two weeks of oral dosing twice a day for the improvement to be observed. The researchers also did not notice any visible side effects during the testing phase.
There’s nothing like this on the market or in experiments,” said Mody, lead author of the study published in PNAS.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
