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Scientists may have identified a way to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in animal studies.
The study, led by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, found that restoring a molecular energy molecule to the brains of mice reversed symptoms of the disease, including brain changes and cognitive decline.
Researchers analyzed two strains of Alzheimer’s mice – and human Alzheimer’s brain tissue – and found severe levels of NAD+ depletion.
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NAD+, an enzyme important for energy production, cell maintenance and long-term cellular health, naturally declines with age, according to senior study author Andrew A. Pieper, MD, Ph.D., director of the Brain Health Medicines Center at the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio.
“When NAD+ falls below required levels, cells are unable to perform essential maintenance and survival functions,” he told Fox News Digital.
Scientists may have identified a way to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in animal studies. (Stock)
Dr. Charles Brenner, chief scientific advisor for Niagen, which specializes in products that increase NAD+ levels, shared that NAD+ plays an important role in powering organs that require high energy, including the brain.
“The brain consumes about 20% of your body’s energy and has a high demand for NAD+ for cellular energy production and DNA repair,” Brenner, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “This is because NAD+ plays an important role in how neurons adapt to a series of physiological stresses and support processes related to brain health.”
“Our experiments provide proof of principle that some forms of dementia may not necessarily be permanent.”
Research shows the potential benefits of NAD+ supplementation in brain health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ataxia telangiectasia, he added.
In a UH Cleveland study, researchers used a drug called P7C3-A20 to restore normal levels of NAD+ in mouse models, which was found to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. In brains with advanced Alzheimer’s, it restored amyloid and tau formation and fully restored cognitive function, according to the researchers.
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The treated mice also showed normal blood levels of phosphorylated tau 217, an important clinical biomarker used in human Alzheimer’s research.
“For more than a century, Alzheimer’s has been considered irreversible,” Pieper said. “Our experiments provide proof of principle that some forms of dementia may not necessarily be permanent.”
Research has found that restoring a cellular energy molecule to the brains of mice reverses the symptoms of the disease. (Stock)
The researchers were “impressed” by how advanced Alzheimer’s was reversed in the brains of mice when NAD+ homeostasis was restored, even without directly targeting amyloid plaques.
“This gives reason to hope that similar techniques may one day benefit humans,” Pieper added.
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This work builds on previous research from the lab showing that restoring NAD+ balance helped speed recovery after severe brain injury.
The study – conducted in conjunction with Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center – was published last week in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
Risks and limitations
The main limitation of the study is that it was only conducted in mouse models and may not directly translate the disease to humans, according to the researchers.
“Alzheimer’s is a complex, multifaceted, uniquely human disease,” Pieper told Fox News Digital. “Effectiveness in animal models does not guarantee similar results in human patients.”
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While the drugs have been tested in clinical trials with the goal of slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s, none have been tested for reversal in humans.
The authors also warn that over-the-counter NAD+-boosting supplements can increase cellular NAD+ to levels so high that, in some species, they have been shown to promote cancer.
Restoring normal levels of NAD+ reverses amyloid and tau formation in brains with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. (Stock)
“P7C3-A20, in contrast, enables cells to restore and maintain a proper NAD+ balance under stress without driving NAD+ to excessively high levels,” notes Pieper.
Anyone considering NAD+-modulating supplements should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor, he recommended.
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There are also proven lifestyle habits that promote brain resilience, according to the researcher.
“Alzheimer’s is a complex, multifactorial, uniquely human disease.”
“This includes prioritizing getting enough sleep, following the MIND diet or the Mediterranean diet, staying sane and physically active, maintaining social connections, dealing with hearing loss, protecting your head from physical damage, reducing alcohol, and controlling blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors such as avoiding smoking,” advises Pieper.
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Looking ahead, the team plans to conduct more research on the effect of brain energy balance on mental health, as well as testing whether the strategy is effective in other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
