A side effect of the prototype Alzheimer's cure has been rejuvenation.

At the Jonas Salk Institute of Biology (California, USA), biologists conducted tests on mice with a new prototype of Alzheimer's disease . A remedy called J147 demonstrated a dramatic improvement in the condition of old mice whose brains were prone to a disease that coincides with the neurodegeneration of the human brain.

Neither the cause nor the course of Alzheimer's disease is precisely known. Symptoms of the disease are short-term memory disorder, impaired speech and cognitive functions. A key feature of the disease is the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain tissue. Previous drug candidates, developed over the last 20 years, tried to act precisely on the formed plaques, but showed no positive results.
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A team of biologists from the Salk Institute decided to try a new approach: to act not on the plaque, but on the causes of brain aging. More precisely, one of the known causes is the accumulation of toxins that destroy blood vessels in the brain. In the course of research, the substance J147 was synthesized.

In previous studies, biologists have already managed not only to prevent, but also reverse the symptoms of memory loss in mice with a hereditary form of Alzheimer's disease. True, only 1% of people suffering from it have such a form of the disease. All the other major risk factor remains aging of the brain and the whole body. Therefore, it was necessary to conduct a study on a special variety of rapidly aging mice, whose condition would closely approach the common form of the disease.

To measure the state of the observed mice, scientists observed, in particular, gene expression and the course of animal metabolism. The test mice were divided into three categories - young, old, and old, taking a new drug.

The mice that received the drug showed the best results in cognitive tests and memory tests, and also demonstrated better coordination of movements. In addition, the brain state of these mice was much better than those who were not exposed to the drug. The best indicators of metabolism, a decrease in the number of inflammatory processes and a decrease in the content of oxidized fatty acids in the brain were noted.

In addition, there was significantly less damage to the microvessels in the brain of these mice - and this is a typical symptom of an aging brain, which is greatly enhanced in the presence of Alzheimer's disease.

The authors of the paper believe that it is making a breakthrough in the fight against the disease, and that the only way to demonstrate the clinical value of a new drug will be to conduct tests on people. “If it is proved that the drug J147 safely and effectively fights Alzheimer's disease, its anti-aging effect will be a pleasant advantage,” said Professor David Schubert, Head of the Laboratory of Cell Neurobiology at the Institute.