Existing Liver Drug Can Help Treat Alzheimer's

A study published in the Journal of Molecular Biology found an existing liver disease drug also could be employed in Alzheimer's disease therapy, reports Medical News Today . An earlier study suggested ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has potential in halting the progression of Parkinson's by improving the functioning of mitochondria in certain individuals. Mitochondrial dysfunction is often a factor in Alzheimer's, and these changes appear to occur even before toxic protein plaques begin to accumulate in the brain. Using tissue from different Alzheimer's subjects, the researchers verified that UDCA enhances mitochondrial function by "correcting" the shape of the affected mitochondria. It achieves this by redistributing Dynamin-related protein 1, which plays a critical role in supporting the healthy dynamics of mitochondria and which the researchers think may shield against neurodegeneration. "We also found that the drug, which is already in clinical use for liver disease, acts by changing the shape of the mitochondria which could tell us more about how other drugs can be beneficial in Alzheimer's," says the University of Sheffield's Heather Mortiboys. "Most importantly, we found the drug to be active in cells from people with the most common type of the devastating disease — sporadic Alzheimer's — which could mean it has potential for thousands of people."