Therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease

Currently the only available therapies for Alzheimer's Disease is to treat symptoms that result from the disease. The current invention treats the underlying causes of the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's Disease is a neurodegenerative disease, where the accumulation of certain oligomers in the synapses of mitochondria impairs various mitochondrial functions such as cellular respiration, energy metabolism and calcium homeostasis. In addition, this accumulation affects the permeability of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition pore (mPTP).

This furthermore causes dysfunction of the mitochondria, which is believed to be one of the mechanisms through which toxicity is caused in Alzheimer's Disease. Cyclophilin D (CypD) is an isomerase associated with the mitochondrial membrane that is overexpressed in Alzheimer's Disease. CypD is known to play a central role in opening the mPTP, which can cause cell death. Together this suggests that CypD may be a mediator of toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease. Thus, a treatment that inhibits CypD may offer a therapeutic benefit on patients with Alzheimer's Disease by reducing or eliminating the toxic effects caused by the accumulation of certain oligomers.

APPLICATIONS: 

• Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
• These CypD inhibitors could be developed into a therapy that treats diabetes and complications that result from diabetes.

BENEFITS: 

• CypD inhibitors are soluble
• They are capable of passing the blood brain barrier
• CypD inhibitors are not toxic
• Reduce the toxic effects caused by peptide accumulation associated with Alzheimer’s Disease
• They could be used as a treatment to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease
• Used as a therapy to treat individuals with Alzheimer's Disease