Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/196089
recent reseArch hUMAN TRiAL To TEST CANCER DRUG'S the production or increasing the removal are already known. additionally, this EFFECTS oN REvERSiNG ALZHEiMER'S of this protein. oral medications and type of cancer occurs most commonly in DiSEASE vaccines are also being developed to try the elderly population, so the drug has researchers at the Cleveland Clinic to control this protein, but no drug has already been tested and found to be safe Lou ruvo Center for brain health have yet proven to be effective against the in an older patient group. the drug has begun a landmark phase iia clinical trial amyloid protein. known side effects as many cancer drugs to determine if bexarotene (targretin), a according to a recent study published do, all of which are being carefully moni- drug currently FDa approved to treat skin in the journal Science, mice geneti- cancer, can remove a protein build-up in cally engineered to produce the amyloid the brains of alzheimer's patients, as it protein showed a substantial reduction in in alzheimer's research, now that a did in a recent animal study. amyloid levels in the brain within days of new diagnostic agent called florbetapir tored in the study. the trial comes at an important time using bexarotene. the dramatic reduction (amyvid) is FDa approved for use during amyloid therapy for alzheimer's Disease was accompanied by improved perfor- positron emission tomography (pet) (beat-aD) study, this is the first human mance on several measures of cognition imaging of the brain to measure the level trial in the world of bexarotene to treat and behavior. of amyloid plaques. known as the bexarotene anti- alzheimer's disease. it is an investigator- "We were encouraged by this remark- "With this biomarker, we are able to deter- initiated, proof-of-concept study led able effect and realized that, because it mine the effect of bexarotene on our primary by Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, Director of was FDa approved, we could test it with outcome, amyloid in the brain of alzheimer's the Cleveland Clinic Lou ruvo Center alzheimer's patients immediately," says patients, in an objective, precise way," says for brain health, and Dr. kate Zhong, Dr. Cummings, who is a paid consultant Dr. Zhong. Senior Director of Clinical research for eisai pharmaceuticals, the manu- Development at the Cleveland Clinic Lou facturer of bexarotene. "if it works the neuropsychological evaluations, blood tests, ruvo Center for brain health. same way in humans as it did in mice, it and brain scans throughout the two-month will be a wake-up call to all of us in the study, including a florbetapir pet scan at the disease in which the first recognizable alzheimer's research community that screening visit, at the four-week mark and abnormality is the accumulation of a this drug and its unique mechanism for at the conclusion of the study (eight weeks). protein in the brain called "amyloid," removing amyloid needs to be explored participants will have their amyloid blood which is normally cleared from the brain more closely." levels measured during the study to see alzheimer's disease is a complex brain in healthy individuals. many of the treat- because bexarotene is approved for participants will have multiple clinical and signs of the protein exiting the brain. a team ment approaches currently being studied in the behavioral neuroscience lab led by in clinical trials are aimed at reducing 34 skin lymphoma in humans, the dosing, side effects and methods of manufacture Dr. Jefferson kinney at university of Nevada | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD News ■ mdNEWS.Com ■ NovEmBEr /dECEmBEr