Could Arthritis Drug Treat Alzheimer’s?

Following successful trials on mice, arthritis drugs could be used to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms.

16:37 22 September 2015

Scientists have found a rheumatoid arthritis drug to be effective in reversing the symptoms of dementia following successful trials on laboratory mice. The drug, salsalate, was found to reverse the changes of a key protein in the brain that builds up in patients with the debilitating neurological disease.

 

Li Gan, PhD of the Gladstone Institutes, a non-profit research organisation affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said: “We identified for the first time a pharmacological approach that reverses all aspects of tau toxicity.”

 

“Remarkably, the profound protective effects of salsalate were achieved even though it was administered after disease onset, indicating that it may be an effective treatment option.”

 

Meanwhile, Doug Brown, director of research and development at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “As this drug is already prescribed to people with arthritis we know a lot about how it works and its side effects – what we need now is confirmation of whether it works for people with dementia. Salsalate is currently in a clinical trial for another brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and we look forward to seeing the results as they could be indicative of its potential as a treatment for dementia.

 

“Repurposing existing treatments for other conditions offers real hope of delivering a new dementia treatment within five to 10 years – which is why Alzheimer’s Society is currently funding a number of studies in this area, including a treatment for type 2 diabetes and another drug for arthritis.”