12.11.2004
Rolipram - a new Alzheimer's Treatment?
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Rolipram may offer promise in the fight
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly with typical symptoms being memory loss, speech deterioration, and behavioral changes. An early study of the drug rolipram in mice shows promise for possible use in treating Alzheimer's disease in people, according to a new study.
Researchers say they found that treatment of a mouse form of AD with rolipram improves memory in long-term potential and contextual learning -- two measurements of brain function.According to researchers Rolipram works by modifying gene expression, making brain synapses more resistant to the damage caused by accumulating beta amyloid.
Results showed rolipram's protective benefit lasted at least two months after the drug course was stopped. The benefits of the treatment also were not limited to the early stages of AD, with behavioral changes occurring in older mice as well as younger mice.
Thus in conclusion researchers suggest that drugs, such as rolipram, that inhibit phosphodiesterase have the potential to prevent the memory loss characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
