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13-May-2013
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Contact: Ruth Francis
[email protected]
44-203-192-2737
BioMed Central
A novel drug candidate, J147, is able to reverse memory deficits and improve several aspects of brain function in mice with advanced symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), finds research in BioMed Central’s open access journal Alzheimer’s Research Therapy.
Previous studies have demonstrated that several compounds, including J147, are able to prevent or delay onset of AD-like symptoms in young mice. This does not mimic the situation in humans where symptoms usually precede the diagnosis. To address this problem, researchers from the Salk Institute used older mice, whose symptoms of AD are already at an advanced stage. Treating these mice with J147 improved their memories in several assays. Examination of the brains of the J147-treated mice showed decreases in proteins associated with cell death and increases in proteins that form the connections responsible for learning and memory.
In a separate but related set of studies using a different model of memory impairment, both J147 and donepezil (Aricept) improved short term memory while only J147 improved spatial memory. Importantly, the combination improved another form of memory commonly lost in AD.
The activity of J147 in these mice could be seen at a molecular level. Marguerite Prior, the lead scientist on this study explained, “During treatment we saw an increase in neurotrophic factors including nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived growth factor (BDNF) which are essential for correct memory function. This explains how J147 is working.â€
David Schubert, who heads the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute where the work was carried out, credits the novel drug discovery approach that they have developed for the exceptional therapeutic efficacy of J147 in AD mice. Schubert says that “our approach to screening drugs is very different from that currently used by pharmaceutical companies. AD is a complex disease associated with old age, and our goal is to make drugs like J147 that reduce the multiple toxicities associated with the disease, not just one. We believe that J147 is the best AD drug candidate in the pipeline and will be effective if we can get it into the clinicâ€.
Media Contact
Ruth Francis
Head of Communication, BioMed Central
Tel: +44 20 3192 2737
Mobile: +44 7825 287 546
E-mail: [email protected]
Notes to Editors
1. The neurotrophic compound J147 reverses cognitive impairment in aged Alzheimer’s disease mice
Marguerite Prior, Richard Dargusch, Jennifer L Ehren, Chandramouli Chiruta and Dave Schubert
Alzheimer’s Research Therapy (in press)
Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central’s open access policy.
2. Alzheimer’s Research Therapy is the major forum for translational research into Alzheimer’s disease. An international peer-reviewed journal, it publishes open access basic research with a translational focus, as well as clinical trials, research into drug discovery and development, and epidemiologic studies. The journal also provides reviews, viewpoints, commentaries, debates and reports. Although the primary focus is Alzheimer’s dementia, the scope encompasses translational research into other neurodegenerative diseases.
3. BioMed Central is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral
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