'NTRX -07‘ Drug for Pain Condition Shows New Hope in Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

A research team from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine has identified a new drug with potential memory restoring abilities in Alzheimer’s patients. The new experimental drug ‘NTRX -07 ‘ for the treatment of neuropathic pain (chronic pain that occurs along with tissue injury) was found to prevent inflammation and remove abnormal protein clumps in the brain. The research study was presented at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting this month.

Alzheimer’s disease usually starts with a mild memory loss and gradually affects the day to day activities of a person’s life.

Dementia is the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease and almost 4 million people in India suffer due to some form of dementia.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 14 million people in America are estimated to be affected with Alzheimer’s disease by 2050.

Research Study on ‘NTRX -07 ‘ Drug

A team of researchers from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine tested the effects of the new drug ‘NTRX -07 ‘ on mice bred with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

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Inflammation in the brain usually occurs due to the presence of twisted bundle fibers and development of abnormal protein clumps called amyloid plaques. These plaques accumulate in the immune cells (microglia) which in turn damage the nerve cells and cause decreased cognitive ability.

Mohamed Naguib, M.D., a physician anesthesiologist in the Department of General Anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic and professor of anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine said that “This drug may reduce inflammation in the brain, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease”.

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Memory restoring abilities of the drug was studied when researchers tried to use the drug for chronic pain conditions called neuropathic pain.

Dr.Naguib said, Patients who have neuropathic pain, have chronic neuro-inflammation and NTRX-07 drug helps blunt the inflammation.

Mechanism of Action

The author said “NTRX-07 uses a different mechanism than many other Alzheimer’s drugs currently available, as it targets the cause of the disease, not just the symptoms.”

Immune cells of the mice have CB2 receptors on the surface which is capable of producing anti-inflammatory response when activated. The drug was found to act by targeting the CB2 receptors which prevent inflammation and brain tissue damage.

Research Findings

NTRX-07 drug was found to improve cognitive skills and remove abnormal amyloid plaques. It also increased the SOX2 protein levels which help to develop new brain cells and protect the brain in Alzheimer’s patients when compared to a placebo drug which in contrast decreases the protein levels, causes active inflammation and poor cognitive skills.

The drug will be developed by NeuroTherapic TM company founded by Dr. Naguib and Joseph F. Foss, M.D., director of Clinical Research for General Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic. The company has also received sponsors from various Alzheimer’s association to initiate human clinical studies for the drug by 2017.

Interesting Facts on Alzheimer’s Disease

• Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who noticed abnormal clumps in the brain tissue of a woman who died due to mental illness.
• Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease usually occur after the age of 60. Younger people are less common to be affected with the disease.
• 1 in 3 seniors found to die due to Alzheimer’s disease.
• There is no single specific test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
• Intake of high cholesterol and saturated fats may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Drugs Used For the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Some of the commonly used drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Donepezil
• Rivastigmine
• Galantamine
• Memantine

These drugs help to mask the symptoms of the disease by inhibiting the specific action of the neurotransmitters in the brain.

Side effects associated with these drugs include

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Constipation

References:

1. Experimental Drug Shows Promise in Treating Alzheimer’s Disease - (http://newswise.com/articles/experimental-drug-shows-promise-in-treating-alzheimer-s-disease)
2. Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet - (https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet)
3. What Is Alzheimer's? - (http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp)
4. Alzheimer's and Dementia in India - (http://www.alz.org/in/dementia-alzheimers-en.asp)
5. Current Alzheimer's Treatments - (http://www.alz.org/research/science/alzheimers_disease_treatments.asp)
6. Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease - (https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/facts-about-alzheimers/)

Source-Medindia