Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a form of early-onset dementia that primarily affects people between the ages of 40 and 65.
It’s the most common type of dementia for this age group, leading to significant changes in behavior, difficulties with speaking and writing, and memory loss.
The condition impacts the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are critical for personality, language, and memory.
In a subgroup of FTD patients, the disease is linked to a specific genetic mutation that disrupts the production of a protein called progranulin in the brain.
Although the role of progranulin is not fully understood, scientists have found that its absence is associated with the development of this form of dementia.
Recently, researchers from the University of Kentucky and other institutions have discovered that a class of antibiotics known as aminoglycosides may offer a promising treatment option for this challenging condition.
In their study, the scientists focused on how these antibiotics could potentially restore the production of progranulin in brain cells affected by the genetic mutation.
The study revealed that when aminoglycoside antibiotics were introduced to neuronal cells carrying the mutation, the cells began to produce the full-length progranulin protein again.
This occurred because the antibiotics effectively bypassed the mutation, allowing the cells to manufacture the functional protein.
Two specific aminoglycoside antibiotics, Gentamicin and G418, were found to be particularly effective in this process. After these antibiotics were applied to the affected cells, the levels of progranulin protein recovered to about 50 to 60% of normal levels.
This significant improvement suggests that these antibiotics could play a crucial role in developing new treatments for FTD.
While these results are promising, they are still in the early stages. The next step involves testing the effects of these antibiotics on mice that carry the same genetic mutation causing frontotemporal dementia in humans.
Additionally, the researchers aim to develop new compounds based on Gentamicin and G418 that might be safer and more effective.
Although Gentamicin is already approved by the FDA, its use is currently limited due to several side effects. Therefore, improving these antibiotics or creating new ones with fewer risks will be essential before they can be considered viable treatments for FTD.
This research, led by Dr. Haining Zhu and published in Human Molecular Genetics, represents a significant step forward in the quest to find effective therapies for dementia.
Currently, there are no treatments that can stop or reverse the progression of frontotemporal dementia or any other type of dementia.
If these antibiotics or their derivatives prove successful in further studies, they could offer new hope to patients and families affected by this devastating disease.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and how alcohol, coffee and tea intake influence cognitive decline.
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