Copper drug CuATSM cuts amyloid, improves memory in mice

A copper-based drug has shown promise in reducing toxic protein buildup and restoring memory in a laboratory model of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The findings, published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience, suggest the compound could offer a new treatment strategy by repairing a critical waste-removal system in the brain.

Researchers from Monash University in Australia found that the compound, known as CuATSM, restored the function of a key pump in the blood-brain barrier, which is impaired in Alzheimer's disease. This pump, called P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is responsible for transporting harmful amyloid-beta proteins out of the brain and into the bloodstream. In the study, using a mouse model of Alzheimer's, the treatment increased the abundance of these clearance pumps by 24.1 percent.

Over a 56-day treatment period, the drug reduced levels of toxic amyloid-beta by 42 percent and improved spatial learning and long-term memory by nearly 44 percent. Lead author Dr. Jae Pyun said the results effectively link the repair of the blood-brain barrier to a reduction in toxic proteins and measurable cognitive benefits.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative...