by Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, affects over 55 million individuals globally. Current treatment approaches primarily focus on addressing the buildup of amyloid beta peptides, which form plaques, and tau protein, resulting in tangles that damage neurons. However, these strategies only tackle a limited range of Alzheimer’s disease-related biological markers and mechanisms.
Recent findings from a clinical Alzheimer’s Treatment led by researchers from Western University, Stanford University, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), offer promising results for a new treatment that enhances the brain’s resilience to Alzheimer’s-related changes. The team evaluated LM11A-31, a novel drug developed by Stanford professor Dr. Frank Longo and UCSF professor Dr. Stephen Massa, which targets the P75 neurotrophin receptor (P75NTR) located on brain cells. P75NTR plays a crucial role in regulating various processes, including cell survival, growth, and death, acting like a traffic controller that decides which signals are allowed to pass. LM11A-31 enhances the transmission of signals that promote cell survival and growth.
In 2020, the developers of LM11A-31 approached Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor Taylor Schmitz and neuroscience Ph.D. student Hayley Shanks to analyze the structural MRI data from their phase 2A clinical trial. Their analyses expanded to include positron emission tomography (PET) and cerebrospinal fluid data.
The clinical trial results showed that LM11A-31 was safe and well-tolerated by patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, the treatment led to improvements in brain function, as indicated by enhanced connectivity and reduced atrophy in specific brain regions, as observed through MRI and PET scans. Additionally, cerebrospinal fluid analyses revealed reductions in biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease progression. These encouraging findings pave the way for further investigation into the potential of LM11A-31 as a novel Alzheimer’s treatment that targets brain resilience through the P75 neurotrophin receptor.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
