7 mar 2023 10:22 p.m
Russian scientists have developed a new chemical compound that stops Alzheimer’s in its early stages without damaging the patient’s liver. The scientists are now conducting preclinical trials with the drug.
Russian scientists from the Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute for the Study of Physiologically Active Substances of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed new chemical compounds for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the developers, in the long term, drugs based on these substances will be able to stop the development of dementia without serious side effects. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science rt. The results of the study are in the journal Molecular Sciences been published.
The substance was developed on the basis of the already known drug tacrine. Tacrine had been prescribed to people with Alzheimer’s in the past, but over time it was found to have severely damaged the patients’ livers. The authors of the new work managed to modify the substance so that it retains its medicinal properties, but at the same time is no longer toxic.
The principle of action of tacrine is based on blocking the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. A deficiency in acetylcholine is known to occur in Alzheimer’s disease. In the US, tacrine was approved for the treatment of humans in 1993, but the drug was then withdrawn because of its high liver toxicity and numerous other side effects.
Maria Ulitko, director of the Department of Biology and Basic Medicine at the Ural Federal University (UrFU), explained the rt-Reporter, which scientific breakthrough could be achieved:
“Our task was to study the effects of the obtained conjugates (chemical derivatives – RT) of tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine) and salicylic acid on liver cells, because the main obstacle to the use of tacrine is its very strong hepatotoxicity. We have shown that most of the conjugates synthesized by our colleagues are 1.5 to 4 times less toxic to liver cells than pure tacrine.”
According to the scientists, the studies proved that the substances obtained are not only able to block acetylcholinesterase, but also have antioxidant properties. This will make it possible to use the drug to reduce oxidative stress, which is one of the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s progression.
In addition, the new chemical compounds could prevent the formation of clumps of certain beta-amyloid proteins in the brain that cause neuron death in dementia, the study authors said. Ulitko elaborates:
“The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are still not fully understood. The disease has a genetic component, so it cannot yet be completely cured. However, thanks to improved diagnostic methods, it is possible to detect the disease at an early stage. If you look like that starting the drug as early as possible, one can increase the amount of acetylcholine, delay the formation of large aggregates of beta-amyloid in the neurons for many years, and protect the neurons themselves from oxidative stress, thereby preserving cognitive processes, and the affected person can live actively for a long time.”
The new chemicals are currently being tested in preclinical trials. In the next test phase, the effectiveness of the new drug will be examined on volunteers.
more on the subject – Scandal in the scientific community: Pioneering Alzheimer’s studies allegedly falsified
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