A hormone already present in the human body could be used in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a team of scientists recently said.
Researchers have discovered that a small amount of an appetite-suppressing hormone called leptin, which is present in all people, can have incredible effects on the brain, such as stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages.
Tests have shown that leptin may reduce the effects of two toxic brain proteins called amyloid and tau, which accumulate and cause memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Jenny Harvey, who led the research at the University of Dundee in the UK, said: “We are working at the level of synapses, which are the points of communication in the brain, as they are affected in the early stages of the disease. when Alzheimer’s disease is still reversible.”
He added: “Our research shows that leptin can significantly slow or even stop the progression of the disease.”
Finally, he noted, “We found that leptin administration can block the ability of amyloid and tau proteins to interfere with synaptic function and memory loss, and prevent the unwanted effects of these cellular changes.”
Similarly, the researchers found six amino acid fragments out of the 167 amino acids contained in the hormone that retain the ability to block the negative effects of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain and thereby slow or stop the progression of the disease.
This discovery allowed them to develop a possible drug model using these smaller leptin fragments.
It could be several years before new leptin-based drugs become available, Professor Harvey said, noting:
“Drug development is not a quick process, most take about 10 years.
Even if it has already been developed, it needs to undergo a number of safety checks before it is distributed to patients.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people worldwide have dementia, more than 60% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.