When it comes to Alzheimer’s research and Alzheimer’s treatments, there are always new developments and areas of focus. Recently, one of the things researchers have been focusing on are plaques in the brain. These plaques may hold the key to finding new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Plaques and Their Role in Alzheimer’s
Plaques are clumps of the protein beta-amyloid. They are a well-known sign of Alzheimer’s in the brain. When these plaques form, they can disrupt cell function and cause issues with cognitive activity. Because of the close relationship researchers have established between plaques and Alzheimer’s, they have been working to learn more about these beta-amyloid plaques.
Alzheimer’s Treatments and Plaques
As it stands now, there are no Alzheimer’s disease treatments that can reverse cognitive decline that has already occurred. But there are a number of new treatments that may be able to prevent further cognitive decline. Since a concentration of plaques in the brain is so characteristic of Alzheimer’s, many potential new Alzheimer’s treatments have focused on removing beta-amyloid plaques or preventing them from forming.
There are three different approaches researchers are currently using to take on plaques. The first is recruiting the body’s immune system to fight beta-amyloid plaques. With this approach monoclonal antibodies, which mimic your body’s natural antibodies, can prevent new plaques from forming by keeping beta-amyloid from clumping. The antibodies may also help break up plaques that have already formed.
Two different medicines using this approach for Alzheimer’s treatment have been approved by the FDA and are currently available: lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla). Both are given as an IV infusion, both target plaques in the brain using antibodies, and both were shown to slow down cognitive decline for those with mild Alzheimer’s disease.
The other two approaches to taking on plaques are still being studied, and do not have any approved treatments currently available. One is a medicine that was first developed for cancer treatment (saracatinib) that may help restore function in the brain that was destroyed by plaques. The final approach uses therapies that slow down the overall production of beta-amyloid in the brain.
So while there are different approaches to take and much still to learn, it is clear that plaques play a major role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The beta-amyloid protein will continue to be a focus of Alzheimer’s and dementia research for years to come.
