An experimental medicine has proven promising to prevent Alzheimer’s for people with the greatest risk of developing the disease.
According to a new study of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Washington in St. Louis, where researchers conducted a clinical trial of people with rare genetic mutations that almost “guarantee” the development of Alzheimer’s future, according to a press release.
The study included 73 people of 30, 40 and 50 who have the mutation, which causes an overproduction of amyloid in the brain.
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Amiloid is a protein that accumulates in the brain and can interfere with cognitive function. It is one of Alzheimer’s distinctive stamps.
All participants did not have a cognitive (or very slight) decrease, had a family history of Alzheimer and were within 15 years before and 10 years after their expected age of symptom development, according to the statement.
An experimental medicine has proven promising to prevent Alzheimer’s for people with the greatest risk of developing the disease. (Istock)
For 22 of the participants who received a medication called Gantenerumab for eight years, their risk of developing symptoms was reduced by half, from 100% to 50%, the researchers reported.
“What we do know is that it is possible to delay at least the beginning of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and give the most years of healthy life.”
“No effect was observed on those only treated for two or three years of treatment,” Senior Author Randall J. Bateman, MD, Charles F. and Joanne Knight distinguished from neurology in Washu Medicine told Fox News News.
The findings were published in The Lancet Neurology magazine on March 19.
For 22 of the participants who received a medication called Gantenerumab for eight years, the risk of developing symptoms was reduced by half, from 100% to 50%, researchers reported. (Istock)
Gantenerumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to aim and eliminate amyloid plaques in the brain, was in development by Roche in Switzerland and its American affiliate, Genentech.
However, the development was arrested in 2023, after Roche/Genentech clinical trials discovered that the medicine did not fulfill its “primary end point” to decelerate cognitive deterioration in people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, according to the statement.
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“All in this study were destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease and some of them still,” Bateman said in the statement.
“We still do not know how long they will remain free of symptoms, maybe some years or maybe decades. To give them the best opportunity to stay cognitively normal, we have continued treatment with another anti-amyloid antibody in the hope that they will never develop symptoms at all,” he continued.
The hope is that if Alzheimer’s trial rehearsals have similar results, prevention methods could ultimately be available for the general population, according to researchers. (Istock)
“What we do know is that it is possible to delay at least the beginning of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and give the most years of healthy life.”
The hope is that if Alzheimer’s tests of late onset have similar results, prevention methods could ultimately be available to the general population, according to Bateman.
“Now I am very optimistic, since this could be the first clinical evidence of what will become preventions for people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
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“One day soon, we can delay the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease for millions.”
Howard Fillit, MD, co -founder and scientific director of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation in New York, said the study shows for the first time that early treatment to eliminate plaques before the symptoms arise can delay the appearance of Alzheimer’s appearance, “similar to how we treat other chronic diseases.”
Although the Gantenerumab is no longer being developed, researchers are evaluating other anti-amyloid medications, such as Reterneug, which is performed by Eli Lilly, to determine if they can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. (Istock)
“We have entered a new era of Alzheimer’s research where we can not only modify the course of the disease, but prevention is possible with therapeutic intervention,” said Fillit, who did not participate in the study, he told Fox News Digital.
Potential limitations, risks
There were several main limitations for research, Bateman told Fox News Digital.
The number of people was limited due to the rarity of Alzheimer’s disease caused by mutations, the use of external controls and the fact that the study began with lower doses, he said.
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“Many of the participants are still cognitively normal and are close or beyond their expected age of the beginning even after more than eight years of treatment, so the effects could be greater or minor with continuous treatment and follow -up,” Bateman said.
The researchers said it has been shown that anti-amyloid medications such as gantenerumab cause abnormalities of amyloid-related images (ARIA).
Amiloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and can interfere with cognitive function, is one of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s. (Istock)
These appear in brain scanning as “small blood spots on the brain or localized swelling of the brain,” released release.
Most of these side effects do not cause symptoms and resolved without treatment, but in rare cases, Aria can cause serious medical problems or can even be fatal.
This most recent study showed that 30% of the participants experienced ARIA, probably due to the highest doses of the drug.
Although two participants had to stop using Gantenerumab due to a severe ARIA, there were no “adverse events that threaten life and there were no deaths,” the researchers said.
“In general, Gantenerumab’s security profile in the extension was similar to that of the original trial and in other clinical trials of Gantenerumab,” they said.
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Dr. Chris Vercammen, an internal medicine doctor certified by the Board who specializes in geriatrics and palliative care, said that although these initial findings are “encouraging”, more research is needed on the effects of these medications.
“Large random essays are needed, including various populations and individuals with late onset Alzheimer’s, to validate these early results and determine the entire potential of these treatments,” said Vercammen, who is also a medical director of Remo Health in California, to Fox News Digital. (He was not involved in the new study).
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“It is important to keep in mind that the design of this study focused on high -risk individuals in the preclinical stage and, therefore, does not provide sufficient data on the impact of these medications on the Alzheimer’s subsequent stage.”
Fillit added that this new investigation opens the door for a greater exploration of the preclinical Alzheimer’s treatment.
It has been shown that anti-amyloid medications such as Gantenerumab cause abnormalities of amyloid-related images (ARIA), which appear in brain scanns such as “small blood spots on the brain or localized brain swelling.” (Istock)
“We hope to see the longitudinal data, as well as studies on this approach,” Digital’s Fox News told Fox.
“These efforts bring us another step to our ultimate goal of preventing the disease before it begins.”
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Although the Gantenerumab is no longer being developed, researchers are evaluating other anti-amyloid medications, such as Reterneug, which is performed by Eli Lilly, to determine if they can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
“These efforts bring us another step to our ultimate goal of preventing the disease before it begins.”
“These rare families with mutations can want to participate in current tests,” Bateman told Fox News Digital.
“The senior general population might be interested in knowing that there are ongoing trials in people with amyloid plaques to test this approach to determine if Alzheimer’s symptoms could be prevented.”
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The study was mainly funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, the GHR Foundation and the National Health Institutes (NIH).
Fox News Digital contacted Roche/Genentech to comment.
