A new drug being developed by scientists at Northwestern University may offer an exciting way to slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms even appear.
The drug, called NU-9, was recently tested in a study using mice and showed strong effects against the earliest brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s.
These results bring new hope for treating the disease in its early stages, before memory loss and other problems begin.
Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t start suddenly. It begins quietly in the brain, often many years before people notice symptoms. In this early stage, harmful protein clusters known as amyloid beta oligomers begin to form.
These toxic protein groups can damage brain cells, cause inflammation, and trigger immune responses. The recent study found a previously unknown subtype of these toxic proteins that appears especially harmful in the early stages of the disease.
The researchers discovered that NU-9 can reduce this toxic protein subtype and prevent much of the damage it causes. When given to mice with early signs of Alzheimer’s, the drug lowered inflammation in the brain, reduced the number of toxic protein clusters, and helped brain cells stay healthy.
NU-9 even reduced levels of another harmful protein called TDP-43, which is linked to memory and thinking problems in both Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
This research is exciting because it focuses on stopping Alzheimer’s at the very beginning—before symptoms start and before major brain damage occurs.
Many clinical trials for Alzheimer’s drugs have failed because they were tested too late, after brain damage had already occurred. In this study, the scientists gave NU-9 to the mice early, and the results were impressive. It not only protected their brain cells, but it also seemed to prevent some of the disease’s most damaging effects.
NU-9 is a small molecule drug that was invented at Northwestern University by Dr. Richard Silverman. He is also known for creating Lyrica, a drug used to treat nerve pain.
NU-9 was first developed for another brain disease called ALS, where it showed promise by removing harmful proteins and protecting brain cells. After seeing success in ALS, scientists wondered if NU-9 could also help with Alzheimer’s, since both diseases involve damage from toxic protein build-up.
The recent study also uncovered a new piece of the Alzheimer’s puzzle. The researchers found a special kind of amyloid beta oligomer, called ACU193+, that starts to show up in brain cells very early in the disease.
This protein subtype attaches to certain brain cells called astrocytes, which normally protect the brain. But when astrocytes become overactive, they can cause damage instead of protection. NU-9 appears to block this harmful chain reaction by reducing the ACU193+ protein early on.
Experts are now comparing this strategy to how we treat heart disease. Just like people take medication when they have high cholesterol—even before a heart attack—NU-9 might one day be given to people at high risk for Alzheimer’s to stop the disease before it starts.
As better blood tests are developed to detect Alzheimer’s early, drugs like NU-9 could be used as a kind of “brain cholesterol medicine.”
So far, NU-9 has shown promise in lab and animal tests. More studies are being done in different types of Alzheimer’s and for longer periods of time. The goal is to see if the drug can protect memory and brain health as animals age and to prepare for possible human trials.
In short, NU-9 is offering a new path forward. It targets the disease before damage is done, showing strong effects against brain inflammation and toxic proteins. While more research is needed, this drug could become a powerful new tool for stopping Alzheimer’s early and helping people stay mentally sharp for longer.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The study is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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