Ask the Expert: Is There a Treatment to Stop Amyloid Build-Up in Alzheimer's Patients?
Dear Dr. Aisen,
I've read that amyloid build up in the brain may lead to Alzheimer's disease. How close are researchers to finding a treatment that stops amyloid from accumulating in the brain? What about removing amyloid once it's already there? I'm approaching my mid-60s and am in good health, but I guess you could count me among the worried well of my generation.
Sincerely,
Charles
This month’s expert is Paul S. Aisen, MD, Director, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute and Professor, Department of Neurology at the University of Southern California.
This is an excellent question. You’re correct that there’s strong evidence that amyloid – a sticky deposit that builds up in the tissue and blood vessels of the brain – is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, every known genetically determined form of Alzheimer’s disease is caused by an abnormality related to amyloid. The two most important strategies for halting the accumulation of amyloid are currently in clinical trials and include:
- •Immunotherapy—This utilizes antibodies that are either developed in a laboratory or induced by the administration of a vaccine to attack the amyloid and promote its clearance from brain.
- •Secretase Inhibitors—These block one or the other of the two enzymes required for the generation of amyloid.
There’s also other amyloid-related research underway. Biogen, for example, is developing an antibody called aducanumab that attacks amyloid. Preliminary results from early-stage trials suggest that this antibody is effective in reducing brain amyloid and is also beneficial in stabilizing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. These results must be confirmed in larger trials, which are just beginning.
A large, international study called Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s, or A4, is testing the anti-amyloid antibody, solanezumab, as a treatment for very early-stage Alzheimer’s. A4 is remarkable because participants have no symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s the first therapeutic trial to be conducted in the pre-clinical, or asymptomatic stage of sporadic (not genetically determined) Alzheimer’s disease.
Charles, you sound like a potential A4 candidate. The study includes individuals between 65 and 85 years who are in generally good health and who don’t have the memory loss characteristic of Alzheimer’s. Study candidates are identified by screening for the presence of amyloid in brain using PET scans. You’ll find more information at the A4 study website.
No comments:
Post a Comment