a next step for u of a researchers is testing the newly found peptides for toxicity. if they pass muster, the peptides will move on to clinical testing, where human volunteers will begin testing the drugs.
alzheimer’s is a notoriously difficult condition for medical researchers to tackle. there is no known treatment that can stop or reverse the memory-affecting degenerative disease — only approaches that attempt to mitigate symptoms.
the widespread nature of the disease only adds to the urgency scientists face in developing an effective treatment.
“it’s one of the most serious public health concerns of our time, because we have an aging population and it’s an age-dependent condition,” he said. “there’s at least half a million canadians who have this condition and maybe 50,000 albertans.”
jhamandas says the development of a drug that can combat alzheimer’s would be transformative for the lives of those patients, as well as their relatives, friends and caregivers.
“i’m confident that we could be on to something here that may be of fundamental importance to alzheimer’s patients and their families,” jhamandas said.
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treating alzheimer's: u of a research closes in on possibility