Regulating copper in the brain helps inhibit memory loss in mice. This is the conclusion reached by scientists after developing a molecule that releases copper trapped in amyloid plaques, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
900,000 people affected in France
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by slow and progressive degeneration of neurons. It usually begins with recurring forgetfulness and memory loss about recent events. Then, the executive functions are gradually altered: the subject’s reasoning, planning and problem-solving abilities decrease. There follows a loss of reference points in time and space as well as language disorders. According to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Alzheimer’s disease affected around 900,000 people in France in 2019.
A future effective treatment?
In a press release dated December 16, 2020, the CNRS explains: “Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques1 in the brain of patients. These plates sequester copper; they contain about five times more than a healthy brain ”. Two CNRS researchers, at the CNRS coordination chemistry laboratory, have developed, in collaboration with their colleagues from the Guangdong University of Technology and the University of Shenzhen (China), a molecule capable of regulating copper in the brain . After extracting the copper trapped in the amyloid plaques, this molecule reintroduces it into the brain’s normal enzyme circuit, which needs copper to function properly. Scientists administered this molecule orally to mice and found that it inhibited memory loss. A lead that could prove to be effective at early stages of the disease, but preclinical trials of this drug candidate have yet to be carried out.
