Study: Cancer Drug May Offer New Hope for Alzheimer's Sufferers

A cancer drug may offer new hope for those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study reported in the September 29th issue of the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York City found that the drug Gleevec lowered production of a toxic substance called beta-amyloid in cell cultures and guinea pigs.

Beta-amyloid is thought to underlie the development of Alzheimer's disease. Although produced naturally, beta-amyloid builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer's, forming sticky patches called plaque and killing off healthy cells.

In recent years, scientists and pharmaceutical companies have been searching for medicines that will stem the production of beta-amyloid in the hopes of treating, preventing and even reversing Alzheimer's. This latest finding opens up a new area of research for developing drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's, according to study author Paul Greengard, director of the university's Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research.

Greengard said the study reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which the toxic substance beta-amyloid is controlled. Because Gleevec does not reach the brain efficiently when ingested, he said another formulation or a similar acting drug would have to be developed before it could be tested in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Other sources: Rockefeller University