Breakthrough on dementia

A NEW SERIES of experimental drugs are being hailed as a potentially exciting breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The drugs, still in clinical trials, form a new class called gamma-secretase modulators (GSM) and tests have shown they could be a significant discovery in cutting a common cause of the form of dementia.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland said the new research, which was published in the latest edition of the medical journal Nature, was encouraging.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological condition characterised by the build-up of proteins in the brain called “plaques” and “tangles”, which make it increasingly difficult for affected people to recall, reason and use language.

The new treatments cut the level of long amyloid proteins which are responsible for the formation of “tangles” in the nerves of the brain. The new drugs also promote levels of shorter protein elements that protect individuals against the disease.

Scientists believe the research could lead to the development of a new class of drugs that specifically target this mechanism in an effort to slow or prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia is the most prominent health issue facing older people in the Republic and it is believed that more than 40,000 people are living with dem- entia/Alzheimer’s.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland estimates that because of the Republic’s ageing population, the figure will rise to some 103,000 by 2036.

The chief executive of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Maurice O’Connell, said the new research provided encouragement for those living with dementia, but warned it was very early days.

“As of yet there is no cure and further research both in Ireland and internationally is very important as was highlighted in our Dementia Manifesto.”

The UK Alzheimer’s Research Trust said the discovery was an exciting step forward towards a new treatment for the disease.

“There has been some recent promising research about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs potentially reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“This has brought us closer to understanding how some drugs affect the production of amyloid and its build-up in the brain, which is thought to cause the breakdown of communications between brain cells and lead to the development of dementia,” a spokeswoman said.