A hormone present in the human body could be used to stop early stage Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks, scientists say.
Researchers at the University of Dundee have discovered that a small part of an appetite-suppressing hormone called leptin, which is present in everyone, can have dramatic effects on the brain, including stopping the development of Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages.
If confirmed, it could pave the way for a new class of drugs that turns the tide on a neurodegenerative disease which is forecast to afflict 1.6 million Britons by 2050.
How does it work?
Researchers have shown that leptin can reduce the effects of two toxic proteins in the brain called amyloid and tau, which build up and lead to memory loss and development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Jenni Harvey, who is leading the research, said: “We’re working at the level of synapses which are the communication points in the brain because synapses are affected early in the disease process, when Alzheimer’s is still reversible.
Researchers have shown that leptin can reduce the effects of two toxic proteins in the brain
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“Our research shows that leptin could significantly slow, or even stop, the disease developing.
“We have found that applying leptin can block the ability of amyloid and tau to interfere with synapses and memory loss, and it can prevent the unwanted effects of these cellular changes.”
The researchers have discovered six amino acid fragments out of the 167 within the hormone which retain the ability to block negative effects of amyloid and tau in the brain, and so slow or stop the development of the disease.
This has enabled the scientists to design a potential drug template using these smaller fragments of leptin.
Professor Harvey said it could be a few years before any new leptin-based drugs become available.
She said: “Developing drugs is not a quick process, most drugs take around 10 years.
“Even when one has been developed there are a number of safety checks it has to go through before being issued to patients.”
Doctor Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This study, funded by Alzheimer’s Society, has discovered previously unknown protective roles of the hormone leptin, increasing our understanding of brain changes in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.
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“This is an interesting development and early studies like this are critical to pave the way to identifying new therapeutic targets to be explored in Alzheimer’s. However, there is still a lot to learn about the long-term effects of leptin on tau or brain cells.”
Previous studies have explored the potential of leptin as a targeted treatment Alzheimer's.
In 2017, researchers conducted a review of the literature surrounding the hormone. The study's author's note at one point that leptin receptors are expressed in the cortex and hippocampus - two major areas affected in Alzheimer's.
