Diabetes Drug Holds Promise for Fighting Alzheimer's

A study by U.K. and Chinese universities published in Brain Research explores the potential for a type 2 diabetes drug to significantly reverse memory loss as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, reports The Independent . Multi-action drugs developed for type 2 diabetes "consistently show neurological protective effects," according to Lancaster University Professor Christian Holscher. The study focused on the combination of GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon and its effect in mice with genetic mutations that cause Alzheimer's. The animals' performance in a maze designed to test memory significantly improved following two months of daily injections of the drug, while the mice also had reduced levels of proteins that form plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Furthermore, the scientists found the mice lost nerve cells to Alzheimer's at a lower rate and exhibited lower levels of nerve inflammation. Meanwhile, University College London Professor John Hardy calls the trial "a first step, at best" toward a Alzheimer's drug for people. "The results showing less amyloid deposition of amyloid in mice treated with glucagon receptor stimulating drugs is interesting," he says. "However, it should be noted that several other drugs have shown positive results in mice models of Alzheimer's disease and then failed in human trials."