(Images source: ABC)
BY TATIANA DARIE
ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS
Old drug, new hope. According to a new study, a skin cancer drug has succeeded in reversing early stage Alzheimer's disease in mice. The results showed the drug dramatically improved brain function and restored the sense of smell in mice with Alzheimers. The UK’s Channel 4 reports...
”The research by scientists in the United States is in its early stages but could offer the prospect of an effective therapy for an illness which causes so much distress to millions of sufferers and their families across the world”
Alzheimers is a form of dementia that is likely to become more common as people live longer. Current drugs on the market only slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The Wall Street Journal reports, the neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine hope the drug known as bexarotene, will someday work in humans as well.
“Since this drug is already approved for human use in another condition we have a pretty good idea of what the safety and side effects are in humans, but still more research needs to be done, specifically in Alzheimer patients before you can determine the proper safe dosage.”
But, Maria Carrillo of the Alzheimer’s Association told the Columbus Dispatch, the promising findings in mice may not translate to humans.
“We’re not sure that this is going to actually show the desired clinical benefits...We owe it to ourselves and our constituents to follow every lead that we have...”
And researchers want to act fast, fearing people might start using the drug before it’s fully evaluated. Fellow researcher Gary Landreth warns, Alzheimer’s patients shouldn’t be asking for a prescription of the drug just yet. The Huffington Post says...
“Don't try this at home, because we don't know we what dose to give, we don't know how frequently to give it, and there are a few nuances to its administration. So one shouldn't be prescribing it off-label."
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect more than 35 million people worldwide, and Alzheimer’s Disease International says cases are expected to double in the next 10 years.
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