A Novel Neurotrophic Drug for Cognitive Enhancement and Alzheimer's Disease

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease.  The drug, known as J147 (above  structure), improved memory and prevented brain damage caused by the disease claims the researchers from Salk's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, lead by David Schubert. The new compound,  could be tested for treatment of the disease in humans in the near future.Researchers add that, J147 enhances memory in both normal and Alzheimer's mice and also protects the brain from the loss of synaptic connections.

Salk researchers went on to show that it prevented cognitive decline in animals with Alzheimer's and that mice and rats treated with the drug produced more of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that protects neurons from toxic insults, helps new neurons grow and connect with other brain cells, and is involved in memory formation.

Because of the broad ability of J147 to protect nerve cells, the researchers believe that it may also be effective for treating other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as stroke.

Although it is yet unknown whether the compound will prove safe and effective in humans, the Salk researchers' say their results suggest the drug may hold potential for treatment of people with Alzheimer's...

Ref : http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0027865

Salk scientists develop new drug that improves memory and prevents brain damage in mice

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings by a research group of Salk's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory.

When given to mice with Alzheimer's, the drug, known as J147 (see structure), improved memory and prevented brain damage caused by the disease. The new compound, developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, could be tested for treatment of the disease in humans in the near future.

"J147 enhances memory in both normal and Alzheimer's mice and also protects the brain from the loss of synaptic connections," says David Schubert, the head of Salk's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, whose team developed the new drug. "No drugs on the market for Alzheimer's have both of these properties."

Although it is yet unknown whether the compound will prove safe and effective in humans, the Salk researchers' say their results suggest the drug may hold potential for treatment of people with Alzheimer's.

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