Researchers Say Hormone Produced by Kidneys May Help With Alzheimer's

A hormone produced by the kidneys may eventually be helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, according to researchers at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, California.

The hormone, called erythropoietin (EPO), boosts the production of red blood cells and can also protect nerve cells in the brain from injury or death, said the study published in Nature. EPO is used in the treatment of anemia and some athletes claim it boosts the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, improving performance.

EPO is also produced in the brain after it has been injured from free radicals, and researchers speculate that it may prevent the death of nerve cells as a result. Tissue damage caused by low oxygen levels, inflammation and diseases causing deterioration of brain function can lead to the development of free radicals.

Researchers treated rat brain cells with EPO and found it prevented the cell death that would have occurred with treatments that cause too many free radicals to be released. Researchers also defined the way that EPO prevents nerve cell damage in the brain, saying it triggers a complex series of signals transmitted in the cell.

The study is very encouraging, said the researchers, as they have found the pathway to nerve cell protection using a known drug that is already used for other indications with a good record of safety.

Other sources: Nature