An experimental drug might help slow early Alzheimer’s disease by lowering levels of a brain protein called tau, researchers reported Tuesday. The study of about 400 people found signs that the drug, called diranersen, also slowed cognitive decline.
How the Drug Works
Diranersen is an antisense oligonucleotide that instructs a tau-producing gene to produce less. This approach is different from today’s treatments, which try to clear buildup of the amyloid protein. The new findings suggest that diranersen did more than lower tau levels, and it also slowed cognitive decline in one small subset enough to be comparable to amyloid therapy.
The University of California, San Francisco, has opened a first-of-its-kind study known as the Alzheimer’s Tau Platform to test a variety of experimental anti-tau therapies. The study will include people with Alzheimer’s-related protein buildup who aren’t yet showing symptoms.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
