Research has shown that a promising fresh drug for Alzheimer’s disease can prevent the accumulation of tau

Scientists have developed a fresh drug that may show promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease because it blocks the build-up of tau protein and acts on two regions of the protein, preventing it from sticking together.

The newest 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, the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

In studies conducted both in the laboratory and in fruit flies, RI-AG03 was found to prevent the accumulation of tau proteins, which play a key role in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. The results were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“There are two regions of the Tau protein that act like a zipper that allows it to aggregate. For the first time, we have a drug that effectively inhibits both of these regions. This dual targeting mechanism is essential because it affects both domains that stimulate Tau aggregation, potentially paving the way for more effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease,” said Amritpal Mudher, a researcher at the University of Southampton, in his study. press release.

Current treatments typically focus on one of the warm spots associated with tau accumulation. However, the researchers said that RI-AG03 is unique in that it attacks and blocks both warm spots simultaneously. Because the current approach focuses on the peptide, it is considered safer and has fewer side effects.

Current aggregation inhibitors often cause side effects because they can interfere with the functions of various proteins in the body. However, RI-AG03 was designed specifically for the tau protein, reducing the likelihood of its negative interaction with other proteins, the scientists explained.

In a study on fruit flies, scientists observed that the drug inhibited neurodegeneration and extended the life of the flies by about two weeks. This is a significant discovery, especially considering the compact lifespan of these insects.

To test whether the positive effects observed in fruit flies were constrained to this species, the researchers tested the drug on a biosensor cell, a specialized human cell line designed to detect the formation of tau fibrils. The results showed that the drug effectively penetrated cells and reduced tau protein aggregation.

“Our research is an essential step towards developing therapies that can prevent the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. By targeting both key areas of the tau protein, this unique approach may aid address the growing impact of dementia on society, providing a much-needed fresh treatment option for these devastating diseases,” said lead author Anthony Aggidis, Ph.D., in a press release.