How analgesics may prevent Alzheimer's disease - Toronto NewsFIX

3Jul

Painkilling drugs like ibuprofen can bind to the plaques which are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s long been known that people who take painkillers like ibuprofen or naproxen seem to be protected from Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, now have a insight into why this might be.

They have previously developed a marker molecule called FDDNP which can detect the presence of plaques, the protein deposits in the brain that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. In test tube experiments, they now show that anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen bind to the plaques and even prevent them from forming.

Not only does this provide more evidence for the protective effect of drugs like ibuprofen, it also suggests that FDDNP is a useful technology for investigating new vaccines and drugs against Alzheimer’s disease.