Researchers at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have developed a drug that can preserve a person’s memory, which is effective in counteracting the consequences of Alzheimer’s disease. Еhe press service of the university reported on Thursday that the drug had been successfully tested in experiments on laboratory animals, TASS writes.
“Our drug conteracts the loss of connections between cells, and this helps the brain to preserve memory. We believe that Alzheimer’s disease begins with the destruction of contacts between neurons in the brain, and if we slow down the process of that loss of connections, then the onset of symptoms of the disease will be delayed,” Elena Popugaeva, senior researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology of SPbPU, was quoted as saying by the press service.
It is stated that the drug was tested on animals that had memory problems. When ingested, the resulting compounds successfully overcame the hemostatic barrier, reached the brain and had a positive effect on the cells, which contributed to memory restoration. After that, scientists will examine the drug for toxicity and mutation, determine whether it has side effects, and then proceed to clinical trials.
As noted in the press service, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease is growing. According to some forecasts, by 2050, almost 140 million inhabitants of the planet can be diagnosed with it, which leads to serious medical and economic problems. The staff of the Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration of SPbPU has been studying Alzheimer’s disease since 2012.