Researchers in Missouri have made a promising discovery in their fight against Alzheimer’s disease. A new study suggests that an experimental drug, gantenerumab, may prevent early-onset Alzheimer’s in people genetically destined to get it.
The study focused on 73 adults with Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease (DIAD), a genetic form of the disease that affects one percent of cases. The participants were given gantenerumab, a monoclonal antibody drug that targets toxic proteins called amyloid in the brain.
The results showed that those who received the drug for an average of eight years had halved their risk of developing Alzheimer’s symptoms. This is significant because people with DIAD have a nearly 100 percent chance of developing the disease by the time they reach their 60s.
While the study was limited to people with genetic forms of Alzheimer’s, researchers believe that similar anti-amyloid drugs could lead to prevention and treatment efforts for all patients. The findings are promising, suggesting that it may be possible to delay the onset of symptoms and give people more years of healthy life.
The discovery has broader implications, as both early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease start with amyloid slowly collecting in the brain about two decades before symptoms begin. Researchers hope that gantenerumab or similar drugs could prevent Alzheimer’s for millions of Americans who currently suffer from the memory-robbing disease.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14516095/experimental-drug-prevent-alzheimers-disease-symptoms.html