Nearly 47 million people worldwide have some form of dementia, a figure that is expected to explode to 131.5 million by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. Scientists have therefore just welcomed with great hope the results of a small clinical trial of a drug intended to reduce the accumulation of tau proteins in the brain.
The accumulation of this protein leads to neuronal degenerations such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The rate of brain atrophy slowed by this molecule
This clinical trial was conducted by Canadian researchers on a group of 891 patients suspected of having Alzheimer’s disease. Some were already taking medication and some were not. The researchers found that the small group of patients who tested the experimental drug without having taken any other drug before showed a much slower rate of brain atrophy.
“Results showed that patients taking LMTM alone had a significantly slower decline than patients taking LMTM in combination with other existing treatments”said Professor Serge Gauthier, lead author of the study and professor of neurology at Mc Gill University (Canada).
However, experts are cautious because only a small number of patients have received this drug as monotherapy. Additional research is therefore necessary to better understand the functioning of the molecule and to verify its possible side effects.
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