Scientists are exploring the use of heparan sulphates, long-chain sugars naturally found in the body, to precent the amyloid plaques that are charateristic of Alzheimer's disease.

"We have developed a new class of compounds called 'engineered heparins' that could possibly be developed into drugs to stop A-beta peptides in the brain from forming and for the first time treat the underlying cause of Alzheimer's. The compound, based on the blood thinning drug, heparin, has modified chemical structures designed to optimise their desired activities and reduce potential side effects.

"The compounds work by blocking the beta-secretase enzyme, responsible for snipping proteins into smaller fragments. Despite its central importance to the disease, there are currently no drug treatments which target this enzyme because it has proved difficult to find inhibitors using traditional drug discovery approaches. The new compounds, based on the body's natural substances, may provide a novel route to effective treatments for this debilitating disease."

These were published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. IntelliHep Ltd, a spin-off company has been founded by the authors of this study to explore the commerical potential of developing engineering heparans as new drugs against Alzheimer's and other important medical conditions.

Source: University of Liverpool