In a major breakthrough, the University of Dundee have discovered a new drug that could one day potentially halt Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the University of Dundee's School of Medicine announced that a hormone in the human body, leptin, could stop early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
They found that a part of leptin can prevent the development of Alzheimer’s by reducing the effects of amyloid and tau proteins, which cause memory loss.
Led by Professor Jenni Harvey, the research showed that leptin could protect synapses, where Alzheimer’s first affects the brain. Six amino acid fragments of leptin were identified as effective against these proteins, leading to a potential drug template.
Although it may take years to develop and approve leptin-based drugs, this discovery offers hope for the future.
Currently, 900,000 people in the UK live with dementia, a number expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2050.
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