Quinolinic Acid and Alzheimer�s Disease

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on August 16, 2005

The race is still on for the drug which will cure Alzheimer�s disease, a disease that afflicts an approximated 4.5 million Americans. While some drugs are prescribed to alleviate some of the symptoms, research remains active on finding novel ways to slow down and reduce symptoms, and, eventually, totally treat and prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

In Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, Australian researchers have found a toxin that plays an important role in the progression of the disease.

"We found that all of the brains of dementia patients showed quinolinic acid neurotoxicity," said Professor Bruce Brew, Director of Neurology at St Vincent's Hospital and Professor of Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). "This acid kills nerve cells in the brain, leading to brain dysfunction and ultimately death."

"There are several drugs which can block this pathway, which are already under investigation by our laboratory and others. While we won't be able to prevent people from getting Alzheimer's disease, we may eventually, with the use of drugs, be able to slow down the progression."

Read the abstract here (full text available to NAN subscribers).