Appetite-suppressing Hormone Could Pave Way For New Alzheimer’s Therapies

A hormone found in the brain of every human could be used as a treatment to delay the proliferation of Alzheimer’s in its early stages.

Researchers with the University of Dundee in Scotland found that a small part of an appetite-suppressing hormone known as leptin could reduce the effects of the two harmful proteins in the brain that build up and lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

“We’re working at the level of synapses, which are the communication points in the brain, because synapses are affected early in the disease process, when Alzheimer’s is still reversible,” saidJenni Harvey, lead researcher and professor . “Our research shows that leptin could significantly slow, or even stop, the disease from developing.”

There is evidence that the hormone can block the ability of plaque proteins to interfere with the synapses of the brain, and that it can potentially “prevent the unwanted effects” of those changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease, Harvey said in a news release.

This research has paved the way for a “potential drug template” that would reduce the size of the leptin molecules used to “increase the likelihood of crossing the blood-brain barrier.”

One of the biggest challenges facing researchers and pharmaceutical companies today is creating dementia-related drug therapies that are able to be accepted into the brain, from the delicate blood-brain barrier, Harvey said.

“Developing drugs is not a quick process; most drugs take around 10 years. Even when one has been developed, there are a number of safety checks it has to go through before being issued to patients.”

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