A recent study has found that a sleep aid medication, lemborexant, may hold new hope for treating Alzheimer’s disease by slowing its progression. Researchers at Washington University have discovered that this drug can protect mice against the buildup of tau proteins, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The study investigated the link between sleep and Alzheimer’s, as poor sleep has been linked to increased risk of cognitive decline. Lemborexant was compared to another sleep aid, zolpidem, in a mouse model, revealing that lemborexant improved sleep quality and reduced tau protein buildup by up to 40%. The researchers attribute this effect to the unique mechanism of action of lemborexant, which blocks orexin, a neuropeptide regulating the sleep cycle.
Interestingly, the study found that lemborexant’s protective effects were only seen in male mice, raising questions about its effectiveness and safety in females. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and investigate the long-term impacts of this medication on Alzheimer’s progression. If successful, early intervention with lemborexant could potentially delay neurodegeneration.
The study was published in Nature Neuroscience and offers new insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of sleep aids in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/fda-approved-sleeping-pill-slows-alzheimers-tangles-in-pre-clinical-trial