Researchers have developed a new drug that could potentially treat Alzheimer's disease by blocking the accumulation of tau protein, acting on two regions of the protein to prevent them from sticking together.
The latest drug, RI-AG03, is a peptide inhibitor developed by a research team led by Lancaster University in collaboration with the University of Southampton, Nottingham Trent University, Tokyo Institute of Medical Sciences, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
In studies in the lab and in fruit flies, RI-AG03 was found to prevent the accumulation of the protein tau, which plays a key role in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. this result Published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
“Tau has two regions that act like a zipper, allowing it to aggregate. For the first time, we have a drug that can effectively inhibit both regions. This dual-targeting mechanism is important because it targets both regions at the same time. these two areas. Press release.
Current treatments typically focus on one of the hot spots associated with tau protein accumulation. However, the researchers say RI-AG03 is unique because it targets and blocks two hotspots simultaneously. Because current methods target peptides, they are considered safer and have fewer side effects.
Current aggregation inhibitors often cause side effects because they disrupt the function of various proteins in the body. In contrast, RI-AG03 was specifically designed to target the tau protein, making it less likely to negatively interact with other proteins, the researchers explained.
In studies on fruit flies, researchers observed that the drug inhibited neurodegeneration and extended the flies' lifespan by about two weeks. This is a significant discovery, especially given the short lifespan of these insects.
To see if the positive effects observed in fruit flies were limited to that species, the researchers tested the drug on biosensor cells, a type of human cell specifically designed to detect tau fibril formation. Tie. The results showed that the drug successfully penetrated cells and reduced tau protein aggregation.
“Our research represents an important step towards creating treatments that can prevent the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's. By targeting two key regions of the tau protein, this unique approach could help tackle dementia Growing impact on society, providing more help to people.