MUST READS

A March 2, 2020 Scientific American article took a new look at tau and its link to Alzheimer’s disease. Long thought of as a ‘secondary player’ to amyloid, tau is now being regarded as a major factor in AD and therefore a viable target for drug development. According to the article, “Researchers have only begun to understand what causes tau to turn toxic. A number of recent studies have suggested that the protein may take an aberrant turn after an inflammatory trigger, such as gum disease or an infection, or different conditions, such as “leaky gut,” in which microbes and other particles leak from the digestive system into the nervous system.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A March 2, 2020 GEN News article reported that an international team of scientists found that PSEN1 gene methylation detected in peripheral blood could be a new a biomarker for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. PSEN1, crucial for neural development, should be monitored for environmental triggers which can affect brain function, neurodegeneration or response to therapies. According to the research team, “Despite evidence from animal models and cell studies that epigenetic regulation of this gene is associated with AD-like pathology, only a handful of studies have investigated human PSEN1 methylation in AD.”

According to a February 28, 2020 The Denver Post article, MedPharm Holdings will apply for a Denver marijuana R&D license to study the effects on people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The new license would allow for clinical trials. Despite being legal in Colorado, marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. “We haven’t yet tapped into what this plant can really do to help alleviate the symptoms… It’s time to put the cannabinoids to the test and really understand what cannabinoids and what doses and what delivery methods really help deliver that relief,” said MedPharm CEO Albert Gutierrez.

A February 27, 2020 BioPharma Dive article focused on a potential deal between Biogen, and the gene-editing company Sangamo Therapeutics, to try and treat Alzheimer’s disease by targeting tau. Sangamo’s technology regulates DNA and would be the focus of the early research activities, with Biogen taking the lead on human testing.  According to the article, “The big bet on Sangamo's technology comes as Biogen is preparing to ask regulators to approve its experimental drug for Alzheimer's. Though the company appears confident in the drug's chances, researchers and analysts remain torn about whether it is approvable — or even works as intended.”