New treatment might stop Lewy body dementia’s progression

New treatment might stop Lewy body dementia’s progression


Neurodegenerative diseases have long hounded both patients and their families. Seeing a loved one become forgetful, and less themselves, is a difficult thing to experience — especially when you know there’s no stopping it.

Now, there may be some hope in the form of a drug candidate called SAK3. This drug prevented continued loss of movement and cognitive function in a mouse model of Lewy body dementia.

People who are diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, the third most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, contend with motor movement disruptions similar to Parkinson’s disease. They also experience symptoms of depression and anxiety — all in addition to the gradual loss of cognitive and reasoning skills.

Lewy bodies refer to clumps of “misfolded” proteins. A typical protein-folding process results in healthy brain function and processes. When misfolded protein clumps begin to crop up, researchers theorize they are the culprits behind dopamine neuron loss, which is associated with issues in movement, learning and memory.

The drug acts by “boosting” something called the proteasome [prō-tē-ə-ˌsōm], which acts like a garbage disposal for proteins that were misfolded. In conditions like Parkinson’s, it stops working appropriately.

Once the proteasome became more effective at disposing of misfolded proteins, the drug appeared to stop the death of dopamine neurons. Decline in movement difficulty and memory was reduced.

Potentially, this drug could prove promising for disorders similar to Lewy body dementia, such as Huntington’s disease. For now, the United Kingdom researchers look toward the next step — clinical trials.

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