Promising research finds this common HIV drug might also help beat Alzheimer’s
press release.Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells. When they become defective, they can hasten damage to nerve cells instead of protecting them.The researchers studied the mice with Huntington’s disease, a genetic condition that causes symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s.
They said maraviroc helps prevent the build-up of harmful plaque deposits on nerve cells. It’s this process that ultimately stops them from working properly.They said that if treatment is started before symptoms become pronounced, it can slow down memory loss.“Maraviroc may not itself turn out to be the magic bullet, but it shows a possible way forward,” said Rubinsztein. “During the development of this drug as a HIV treatment, there were a number of other candidates that failed along the way because they were not effective against HIV.
We may find that one of these works effectively in humans to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.”The second piece of good news involves a new drug, donanemab.
Pharma giant Lilly says the medication slowed the progression of the condition by 35% compared with a placebo in 1,182 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.Last year, the FDA approved Lecanemab (marketed as Leqembi), manufactured by biotechnology companies Biogen and Eisai.
