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Diabetes Drug Can Restore Memory Loss from Alzheimer's

Posted: Saturday, November 24, 2012

Researchers working with genetically engineered mice designed to serve as models for Alzheimer's, at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, found that treatment with the anti-insulin-resistance drug rosiglitazone enhanced learning and memory as well as normalized insulin resistance.

The scientists believe that the drug produced the response by reducing the negative influence of Alzheimer's on the behavior of a key brain-signaling molecule.

The molecule, called extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), becomes hyperactive both in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and in the mice at a disease stage corresponding to mild cognitive impairment in human Alzheimer's. This excessive activity leads to improper synaptic transmission between neurons, interfering with learning and memory.

"Using this drug appears to restore the neuronal signaling required for proper cognitive function," said UTMB professor Larry Denner, the lead author of the study.

"It gives us an opportunity to test several FDA-approved drugs to normalize insulin resistance in Alzheimer's patients and possibly also enhance memory, and it also gives us a remarkable tool to use in animal models to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie cognitive issues in Alzheimer's," he added.

Source: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13863&catid=53&Itemid=8, Journal of Neuroscience, Nov. 2012.