(NewsNation) — Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a drug that could stall Alzheimer’s disease long before symptoms appear.
The experimental drug, NU-9, targets toxic proteins that may trigger Alzheimer’s decades before memory loss begins. In mice, NU-9 stopped early damage by targeting the disease at its earliest stage.
“Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before its symptoms appear, with early events like toxic amyloid beta oligomers accumulating inside neurons and glial cells becoming reactive long before memory loss is apparent,” said Daniel Kranz, a Northwestern neuroscientist.
Testing of NU-9 is currently being conducted in additional disease models, including “an animal model of late-onset disease that better reflects typical human aging,” according to Northwestern.
Researchers hope to shift treatment strategy by preventing Alzheimer’s before symptoms start, similar to how cholesterol-lowering drugs are taken to reduce heart disease risk.
“There are a couple of early diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease in development. The promise of better early diagnostics – combined with a drug that could stop the disease in its tracks – is the goal,” said William Klein, a Northwestern neurobiology professor.
