Experimental drug reverses memory loss in mouse models of Alzheimer’s

A synthetic version of a naturally-occurring chemical compound has been found to reverse memory loss in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at US-based Salk Institute said the experimental drug provides “much to consider in the wider development of compounds to counter the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s.”

The Salk researchers focused on an anti-aging drug called CMS121, a version of fisetin – CMS121 is said to influence age-related metabolic pathways in the brain while fisetin can apparently prevent memory loss.

In the study, mice already exhibiting learning and memory problems similar to Alzheimer’s patients were administered daily doses of CMS121. These mice performed just as well as healthy mice in memory and behaviour tests, compared to untreated mice.

Further analysis revealed that lipid degradation process in the brain, called lipid peroxidation, was heightened in the mice with the disease that went without treatment. CMS121 seemed to inhibit lipid peroxidation by lowering levels of a key lipid-producing molecule, called fatty acid synthetase (FASN).

Brain samples of deceased Alzhiemer’s patients were found to have higher amounts of the FASN molecule as well, compared to healthy controls of a similar age, indicating that FASN could in fact be a target with plenty of potential in the field of Alzheimer’s research.

The findings bolsters the potential of CMS121 to treat Alzheimer’s, with the researchers hopeful it can inspire the science community to investigate compounds that target FASN and the process of lipid peroxidation.

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Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals