A novel onset pathway for Alzheimer’s: A potential target for therapies

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is acknowledged as the World Health Organisation’s “global health priority for the 21st century”. While most Alzheimer's research focuses on the brain, a Curtin team has identified a potential cause and therapeutic target of Alzheimer's outside the brain. From their research, they concluded that an abnormal increase in the toxic protein amyloid-β in the blood, and subsequent accumulation in the brain, is a causal route of Alzheimer’s. The team then identified several compounds that block the blood-to-brain amyloid pathway, with the cardiovascular drug probucol showing the highest efficacy in animal models.

A clinical trial to test whether probucol stabilises the cognitive performance in patients with early Alzheimer's is now underway, and a provisional patent has been filed for the novel pro-drug formulation of probucol that the team is developing. 

The project has been recognised at the 2022 Curtinnovation Awards as the Overall Winner.

Team: John Curtin Distinguished Professor John Mamo, Dr Ryusuke Takechi, and Dr Virginie Lam. 
Support: National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Curtin University, MSWA, The McCusker Charitable Foundation, Wen Giving Foundation.

Learn more: http://curtin.edu/curtinnovationawards

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