Early-onset Alzheimer’s: New drug shows promise in slowing the disease

Alzheimer’s disease is usually associated with old age.

- BY RAHUL SIDHU PhD CANDIDATE, NEUROSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

But around 5%-10% of all Alzheimer’s cases occur in people under the age of 65. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease progresses more rapidly and often strikes people in the prime of their lives. Treatment options remain limited.

But new data from a recent clinical trial suggests that a previously discontinued experimental drug, called gantenerumab, could help. The study found that gantenerumab reduced the buildup of amyloid plaques - one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease - in the brain. This may help slow cognitive decline in people with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s is often linked to genetic mutations in three specific genes. These mutations cause the brain to produce excessive amounts of amyloid beta, a protein that clumps together to form plaques. These plaques disrupt brain function, leading to memory loss.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s advances quickly - and the rapid decline is devastating. That’s why researchers are racing to find treatments that can slow the disease.

The recent clinical trial was a randomised, placebo-controlled study to evaluate gantenerumab’s effects on people with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Researchers monitored changes in the participants’ cognitive abilities, and also used brain imaging and blood biomarkers (the presence of specific proteins in the blood which are linked to Alzheimer’s), to track the disease’s progress throughout the study.