New treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Science and medicine do not stand still, so new methods and directions in the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies are constantly emerging.

Let's look at what's new in Alzheimer's disease treatment:

• The drug J147 - affects toxins that destroy neural connections in the brain and lead to the development of dementia. The drug is still in the active testing stage, but there are already positive results. J147 improves cognitive abilities and metabolic processes, reduces the level of fatty acids in the brain.
• This development is based on genetic engineering and involves delivering the gene of the nerve growth factor to the neurons of the brain. The NGF gene stimulates the synthesis of a protein that maintains the viability of neurons, and also stimulates their development and activity. A modified virus that does not have a negative effect on the body is used to deliver the gene to its destination. This method is undergoing the final phase of testing.
• Another development is the transformation of connective tissue cells - fibroblasts, into neurons of the brain. To transform diseased neurons into healthy ones, the patient is given two drugs, the interaction of which is ensured by chemical reactions.
• A nano drug has been developed to combat beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. The drug's action is aimed at destroying compounds that disrupt communication between neurons and contribute to their death. Nano particles made of polymer and gold have also been developed, which, after entering the body, connect with beta-amyloid plaques and stop their growth.
• Computer system for choosing an effective drug. The essence of this development is that Alzheimer's disease has a genetic origin. Knowing which genes are damaged and how certain drugs affect them, it is possible to create an optimal drug.

All of the above methods are at the development or testing stage, but there is already information about their positive effect.

Alzheimer's Treatment with Stem Cells

Since their discovery, stem cells have revolutionized scientists' understanding of the human body and have caused breakthroughs in many areas of research. They have proven themselves in neurodegenerative pathologies as replacement therapy. That is, the method of treating Alzheimer's disease with stem cells consists of replacing altered tissues with healthy ones.

Cell therapy has the following properties:

• Activates regeneration processes.
• Promotes the appearance of new blood vessels.
• Restores nerve cells and lost brain functions.
• Eliminates neurological symptoms.
• Improves memory.
• Enhances cognitive abilities.
• Promotes speech restoration.
• Stabilizes the emotional background.
• Increases muscle strength and mobility.

The stem cell treatment method is quite simple. The material is collected from abdominal fat using liposuction. To activate the cells, they are exposed to monochromatic frequency color spectrum light and returned as an injection after 2-3 hours.

This method of treatment does not violate moral aspects, since the treatment is carried out with stem cells of the patient, not animals or embryos. In addition to dementia, cell therapy has proven itself in autism, Parkinson's disease, stroke, cardiomyopathy.

Fenamates in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Medicines with the active ingredient N-phenylanthranilic acid are fenamates. The active substance is multicomponent, as it includes mefenamic, meclofenamic and etafenamic acids. Mefenamic acid deserves special attention.

Mefenamic acid is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It has peripheral, central, analgesic and antipyretic effects. The therapeutic effect in Alzheimer's disease is associated with the anti-inflammatory properties of the drug, since inflammatory damage to brain tissue is important in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

• Main clinical application: pain relief in rheumatic diseases. The drug is rapidly absorbed and transformed into two metabolites, which maintain a therapeutic concentration in the blood plasma for 1-8 hours. About 50% of the drug is excreted in the urine as metabolites, the rest in the feces as an unconjugated 3-carboxylic metabolite. The active component easily penetrates the placental barrier, can be found in milk during lactation and in bile.
• Side effects: gastrointestinal irritation, dyspeptic disorders, skin allergic reactions, hemolytic anemia, bronchospasm, increased blood urea levels.
• Contraindications: gastrointestinal diseases, taking anticoagulants, pregnancy and lactation.
• Interaction with other drugs: binds to plasma proteins, exerting a potentiating effect on the activity of anticoagulants from the coumarin group. The drug should be taken with special caution with Warfarin.

Mefenamic acid is available in capsules of 250 and 500 mg, there is also a 10 mg/ml suspension used in pediatric practice.

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New Drugs to Treat Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. But despite this, there is still no therapeutic method or medicine that would stop the pathological process. Because of this, new drugs are constantly being developed to treat neurodegenerative pathology.

Let's look at the most promising developments:

• 1. Vaccine CAD106

Its action is aimed not at disease prevention, but at the destruction of progressive pathology. The vaccine contains active components that, after introduction into the body, activate the immune system to produce antibodies to the morphological substrate - beta-amyloid. Thanks to this, the disease slows down its development.

• 2. MDA7 drug

Development for the elimination of neuropathic pain syndrome. But during the studies, it was found that the drug slows the progression of dementia. The mechanism of action of MDA7 is based on anti-inflammatory activity in the central nervous system and the effect on cannabinoid receptors in the brain. The experiments found that the drug promotes the restoration of cognitive processes, synaptic plasticity and memory.

• 3. Drug MK-8931

Inhibits the enzyme β-secretase, which breaks down protein compounds. Blocks biochemical processes - the amyloid cascade, reduces the concentration of β-amyloid in the cerebrospinal fluid. According to studies, daily use of the drug not only slows down Alzheimer's dementia, but stops it. The drug is still being tested on patients with early forms of the disease.

• 4. Antidiabetic drugs

1. Rosiglitazone is a drug prescribed for type 2 diabetes. But scientists have proven that the drug improves memory, cognitive function and learning ability.
2. Insulin ditimer is a recombinant insulin and another potential drug for dementia. It increases the activity of enzymes from the mitogen-activated protein kinase group, which are responsible for synaptic signal transmission between neurons in the brain. It increases cognitive abilities and improves memory.

• 5. Exelon medicated patch

This drug is a transdermal form of rivastigmine. The patch is applied for 24 hours. During this time, the active component enters the bloodstream, which fights degenerative processes. The peculiarity of this medication is that the patch should be applied daily to a new area of the body, which should not come into contact with clothing.