This drug could prevent and even reverse Alzheimer's: ‘I've not seen anything quite like it,' says doc
Better yet, they believe a drug could prevent and reverse the crippling disease.
Published in Nature, the findings are based on 10 years of research that includes lab mice and analysis of human brain tissue and blood samples.
Alzheimer's disease — which affects an estimated 7 million Americans — is notoriously difficult to detect, especially in its initial stages.
Proxima Studio – stock.adobe.com
Researchers found that a loss of lithium, a mineral which occurs naturally in the brain, is one of the earliest indicators of the onset of Alzheimer's — and adding lithium protects it from deteriorating.
'The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach,' said senior author Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS.
In their experiments, mice were treated with lithium orotate. They found that it prevented brain cell damage and restored memory, even in older mice with advanced disease.
'What impresses me the most about lithium is the widespread effect it has on the various manifestations of Alzheimer's. I really have not seen anything quite like it all my years of working on this disease,' said Yankner.
Notably, scientists also found that maintaining stable lithium levels in early life prevented the onset of Alzheimer's.
These promising results may potentially provide a new standard for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
The findings also support previous population studies that revealed that higher lithium levels in the environment, particularly in drinking water, correlated with lower rates of dementia.
Alzheimer's has long baffled experts as the expression of the disease and its causes are far from uniform.
onimate – stock.adobe.com
Alzheimer's has long baffled experts as the expression of the disease and its causes are far from uniform.
Many people with amyloid protein buildup show no signs of decline, and treatments that target it have thus far proven ineffective at reversing memory loss and, at best, only slightly reduce the rate of decline.
Though genetic and environmental factors play a role, scientists are unsure why the disease develops in some with these factors and not others.
The study authors believe lithium may be the critical missing link.
'My hope is that lithium will do something more fundamental than anti-amyloid or anti-tau therapies, not just lessening but reversing cognitive decline and improving patients' lives,' said Yankner.
Yankner and his team stressed that their findings need to be confirmed through clinical trials in humans, but remain hopeful that measuring lithium levels could help screen for and treat Alzheimer's
'You have to be careful about extrapolating from mouse models, and you never know until you try it in a controlled human clinical trial,' Yankner said. 'But so far the results are very encouraging.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump can rein in healthcare costs AND win medical breakthroughs — here's how
Of all the problems bedeviling the American healthcare system, the high cost of pharmaceuticals is one of those most commonly cited by patients. Polling finds that most Americans think drugs are too expensive, and they're often right — even if pricey medications beat alternatives like surgery, hospitalization or living with pain. President Donald Trump has promised to implement healthcare reforms that both increase innovation and improve affordability. Advertisement Some see these as contradictory pursuits — but when it comes to pharmaceuticals, both of the president's goals can be achieved at the same time. This week the two of us, along with a team of top health and economic experts, launched Most Favored Patients, a working group aimed at developing reforms that will lower drug prices in ways that won't hinder or delay new drug development. Before we suggest policies that could work, let's be clear about what doesn't: government-mandated price controls. Advertisement Top-down edicts that remove the profit motive from drug research and development will do more harm than good, impeding the race to identify cures for cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and other cruel diseases. It's a short-sighted solution, too: It ignores the reality that 93% of US prescriptions are for very cheap generics — indeed, cheaper here than abroad — that emerge after innovators earn the necessary returns on their investments. Instead, let's try some innovations that make both medical and economic sense. First, do the easy stuff first and allow patients to buy medicines from pharmaceutical companies directly. Advertisement Our recent poll of 1,000 battleground-state voters found overwhelming 86% support for this concept, which would lower drug prices by avoiding expensive retail markups imposed by insurance companies and others. Most voters also favor Trump's intention to rein in costly middlemen like the highly concentrated pharmacy benefit manager industry, which negotiates drug prices for insurance companies. We also must require foreign countries to pay their fair share for medical innovations developed in the United States — that is, nearly all of them. Trump can use his NATO negotiations as a model here: Just as he has required Europe to pony up more for the benefits of NATO security through minimum levels of military spending, he could convince trading partners to spend more of their GDP on new drugs. Advertisement Right now, more than 70% of global pharmaceutical earnings come from the United States, even though we generate less than a quarter of global GDP. We annually spend $13,000 on healthcare per capita, while the rest of the developed world spends far less than $10,000 — partly because we allow more free-market healthcare pricing than other nations do. Trump is already implementing some of these reforms in his America First trade deals, securing some $300 billion worth of foreign commitments for new domestic pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing and workforce investments. These commitments share the burden of finding cures that will benefit all of humanity — while fueling the American research engine that justifies the investments. Next, the Food and Drug Administration must thoroughly overhaul its antique, snail's-pace drug approval process: Many potential wonder drugs developed by small biomedical firms are shelved when that process' exorbitant costs and delays drain their capital. The FDA should fast-track experimental drugs for crippling and lethal diseases, and should expedite 'Right To Try' rules to get promising drugs to the people who need them. In addition, we believe the FDA should loosen its regulations and use economic criteria, not just clinical ones, to determine whether a drug may be fast-tracked for approval: Put simply, cheaper drugs should be allowed to come to market faster. Advertisement Finally, we're confident that price transparency in drugs and all other medical services would help drive prices down and encourage more comparison-shopping by patients. We don't buy food or gas or homes without knowing their price — but that's too often the case with drugs, hospitals and medical procedures. Republicans have been missing out on the political benefits of seizing on common-sense reforms like these. Advertisement Voters consistently view the GOP as being less caring and less reliable on solving our nation's healthcare concerns. That's made them cower. They keep their mouths shut and flee from any discussion of voters' valid complaints — and often lose elections as a result. As the midterms approach, Republicans who promote innovation with our Most Favored Patient proposals will help bring down costs, ensure American biomedical innovative supremacy, and save lives. Advertisement Everyone is on board with that. Stephen Moore is a co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, where Tomas Philipson is a senior research fellow.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick threatens Harvard University's patent authority
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is threatening to take over hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Harvard University patents and other inventions whose creation was funded by taxpayers, according to a Friday letter reviewed by The Post. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick fired off the missive to Harvard President Alan Garber, demanding a full accounting of the federal money that went to the Ivy League school's patents by Sept. 5. Lutnick is threatening to reclaim hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Harvard patents for the taxpayers. AP Advertisement 'The Department is also initiating the 'march-in' process under the Bayh-Dole Act pursuant to which the U.S. government intends to to grant third-party licenses to Harvard's patents or take title where Harvard has failed timely to disclose or elect title to inventions,' the letter stated. The law forces inventors to disclose which federal grants resulted in patents and submit timely reports about how the patents are being used — with some provisions for 'products based on the inventions' to ensure the items are 'manufactured substantially within the US,' a senior administration official said, adding that the 1980 law also states that Americans should reap the benefits from such inventions. The law forces inventors to disclose which federal grants resulted in patents. AP Lutnick accused the Cambridge, Mass., university of having 'failed to live up to its obligations to the American taxpayer' with its patent authority. Advertisement A failure to comply with the Act's terms allows the federal government to take ownership of a university's patents and/or issue third-party licenses. The Post reached out to Harvard reps for comment.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
FDA says IV saline shortage is over
A longtime shortage of a type of sterile intravenous saline is now resolved, the Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. According to the FDA, sodium chloride 0.9% injection products have been in shortage since 2018. The shortage was exacerbated when Hurricane Helene flooded a Baxter manufacturing plant in Marion, N.C. last fall what was responsible for 60 percent of the IV fluid in the country. 'This marks a significant milestone for public health and reinforces the FDA's commitment to ensuring Americans have consistent access to life-saving medical products,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. Hospitals were left scrambling in the aftermath of Helene, as the shortage of multiple types IV fluid highlighted the fragility and vulnerability of the country's medical supply chain. Many were forced to curtail elective procedures and ration supplies. The IV fluid market is made up of primarily four manufacturers: Baxter International, which makes about 60 percent; B. Braun Medical, which makes about 23 percent; along with ICU Medical and Fresenius Kabi. It's common to see the same products go on and off the shortage list for years. Prior to Helene, certain IV solutions had been in shortage for almost 10 years. Experts have long warned about allowing critical supplies to be highly concentrated in one place. But manufacturing requirements for sterility mean a high barrier to entry into the market, and with low returns on investment for manufacturers, hospitals and suppliers have few options for recourse. The FDA said it is working closely with manufacturers and will continue to monitor the supply of other IV fluids, which are still in shortage. 'The availability of reliable medical products is essential to patient care and the overall resilience of our healthcare system. Addressing this shortage has been a top priority for the FDA,' Makary said.
