An anti-cancer drug may reverse memory problems in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model, according to new research carried out at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The study, published in the journal Science, examined previously published outcomes on the drug bexarotene – which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
The researchers established that the drug does notably improve cognitive deficits in mice expressing gene mutations associated with human Alzheimer’s disease, however, they could not verify the effect on amyloid plaques. Senior author Rada Koldamova, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in Pitt Public Health’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, said, “We believe these findings make a solid case for continued exploration of bexarotene as a therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.”
