Latest news with #TheScrippsResearchInstitute
Euronews
23-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Common herbs like rosemary may have inspired a breakthrough Alzheimer's treatment
ADVERTISEMENT Researchers have found a compound derived from common herbs has successfully enhanced memory and brain density in mice, and could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's. A team from The Scripps Research Institute based in the US worked on a derivative of carnosic acid, a molecule found in rosemary and sage. They synthesised a more stable derivative called diAcCA and then used it to treat mice modified to show Alzheimer's-like symptoms for three months. The mice that received the new drug showed improved learning and memory skills as well as more synapses, the junctions where neurons connect and communicate with each other, according to the findings published in the journal Antioxidants . The loss of synapses correlates strongly with cognitive decline. The mice also showed less buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, two harmful proteins among the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in humans. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 70 per cent of dementia cases. Related Experimental drug may slow dementia onset for patients with rare genetic form of Alzheimer's It poses a significant and growing burden across Europe, affecting approximately 7 million people today, with numbers projected to double to 14 million by 2030 due to its ageing population. 'By combating inflammation and oxidative stress with this diAcCA compound, we actually increased the number of synapses in the brain,' Stuart Lipton, a professor at Scripps Research and one of the study's authors, said in a statement. 'We also took down other misfolded or aggregated proteins such as phosphorylated-tau and amyloid-β, which are thought to trigger Alzheimer's disease and serve as biomarkers of the disease process,' he added. An anti-oxydant molecule Carnosic acid is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory but it has a very short shelf-life, while the diAcCA can be taken orally before being converted into carnosic acid in the stomach and entering the bloodstream. The amount in the blood of the test mice was 20 per cent higher with the new method compared to usual ingestion of carnosic acid. 'We did multiple different tests of memory, and they were all improved with the drug,' Lipton said. 'And it didn't just slow down the decline; it improved virtually back to normal,' he added. The researchers added that the mice tolerated diAcCA well.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You May Have Ingredients in Your Spice Rack That Can Fight Alzheimer's
In case you needed an excuse to make your food flavorful (ahem, some of you know who you are), new research indicates that some ingredients you already have in your kitchen may be able to help fight Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Certain herbs and spices are found to contain a special compound that's been shown in tests to reverse memory loss, reduce brain inflammation and more. What are they and what do we know about this promising development so far? Read on to find out! Shakespeare lovers may recognize Ophelia's quote, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." As it turns out, rosemary may also be for remembering. A new study from The Scripps Research Institute reports that carnosic acid, a compound found in rosemary and sage, drastically improved brain function in mice. The study, published in the journal Antioxidants, notes that when mice were given a stable form of carnosic acid, they showed a significant drop in brain inflammation, which is a major factor in Alzheimer's and dementia. The mice also showed dramatically improved memory when researchers administered the carnosic acid. Related: "By combating inflammation and oxidative stress with this diAcCA compound, we actually increased the number of synapses in the brain," senior study author , Step Family Foundation Endowed Chair at Scripps Research, professor and clinical neurologist in La Jolla, California, said in a statement. "We also took down other misfolded or aggregated proteins such as phosphorylated-tau and amyloid-β, which are thought to trigger Alzheimer's disease and serve as biomarkers of the disease process." Dr. Lipton and his team previously found antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in carnosic acid, but because the substance is unstable (meaning likely to break down, decompose or otherwise change), it would prove tough to actually use in a drug. In the new study, Dr. Lipton and his fellow researchers developed compounds from carnosic acid derivatives to find a more stable compound that produced the same results, which may later work in a drug. They monitored the mice for three months using the new compounds, which proved promising. OK cool, but what does all that mean? Related: According to Dr. Lipton, in addition to anti-inflammatory properties, the carnosic acid derivative compounds reduced plaque and tau proteins in the brain to healthy levels. "We did multiple different tests of memory, and they were all improved with the drug," Dr. Lipton said. "And it didn't just slow down the decline; it improved virtually back to normal.' Analysis of tissues also showed increased neuronal synaptic density and decreased formation of phosphorylated-tau aggregates and amyloid-β plaques." Related: The carnosic acid and its derivatives were also reportedly quite well-tolerated, meaning there would likely be few negative side effects if used in Alzheimer's or dementia drugs, though quite a bit more work needs to be done before that happens. That said, Dr. Lipton is optimistic that because the mice in his studies showed so few side effects, human trials on it may come sooner rather later. Dr. Lipton also believes that, if nothing else, adding these compounds to existing medicines for conditions like diabetes, Parkinson's disease and heart disease may make them better tolerated than before. Up Next:'diAcCA, a Pro-Drug for Carnosic Acid That Activates the Nrf2 Transcriptional Pathway, Shows Efficacy in the 5xFAD Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.' Antioxidants.
