A new pill could stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks by prompting the brain to ‘re-wire’ itself.
The experimental tablet – called BnH-101 – is designed to improve neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to rearrange its connections after it has been damaged by illness or injury.
In tests on mice, the pill led to new connections being formed between nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that handles memory, learning and emotions. This then boosted scores in memory tests.
Crucially, the pill also reduced the formation of harmful amyloid plaques. These proteins in the brain are thought to be a key factor in the development of the disease.
Now a trial involving dozens of people with Alzheimer’s is being set up in South Korea to try to replicate the initial findings.
The experimental tablet – called BnH-101 – is designed to improve neuroplasticity. (Stock image)
The disease is characterised by the abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain. (Stock photo)
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss
More than 900,000 people in the UK are affected by Alzheimer’s, with the number forecast to rise to 1.4 million by 2040, due partly to an ageing population.
The disease is characterised by the abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain. As well as amyloid plaques, these include another protein, called tau, which forms tangles within brain cells.
In the past couple of years, several new drugs have emerged which appear to slow down some of the damage caused by the disease. One, lecanemab, last month became the first disease-modifying drug approved in the UK. However, it is only available privately as the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said the benefits do not justify the costs – estimated at about £20,000 per patient per year.
Scientists at BnH research, the South Korean company that is developing the new pill, predict it will be a more effective way to combat the disease.
It is designed to stimulate a protein in the brain called GluN2B. This plays a key role in improving the brain’s neuroplasticity – its ability to grow new nerve cells that can bypass the damage done by, for example, a stroke or Alzheimer’s.
Activating the process has been shown to have benefits for the brain. In stroke cases, for example, repeated rehabilitation exercises involving paralysed limbs can help the brain form new nerve connections that allow patients to learn to walk and talk again.
A 2023 study on mice with Alzheimer’s-like disease showed those given the new drug scored far better in memory tests than those given a dummy version.
Scientists at BnH research, the South Korean company that is developing the new pill, predict it will be a more effective way to combat the disease. (Stock photo)
More than 900,000 people in the UK are affected by Alzheimer’s, with the number forecast to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. (Stock Image)
The mice were exposed to a very mild, slightly painful electric current. Researchers then observed which ones remembered to avoid it next time.
The new trial in South Korea will test different doses of the drug in people with or without Alzheimer’s disease. Results are expected in a few years.
James Rowe, a consultant neurologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and a professor of cognitive neurology at Cambridge University, said: ‘This new drug has several ways it might work. Some of these build on mechanisms exploited by existing drugs, such as supporting connections in the brain, reducing inflammation and helping plasticity.
‘The combination of these complementary effects could be an advantage. But it can be a challenge to make the leap from the laboratory to humans.
