The research could offer a potential new treatment for the disease
Scientists at the University of Lancaster and Ulster have discovered that two common diabetes drug lixisenatide and liraglutide have been found to work against Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model of the disease.
In the study published in journal Neuropharmacology, showed that daily injections of the drugs for ten weeks brought down the levels of amyloid plaque in their brains and improved their memories and ability to recognise objects. The research could offer a potential new treatment for the disease, says the researchers.
Professor Christian Holscher of Lancaster University who led the study said, "These are very exciting results. There are no drugs on the market for Alzheimer's disease that actually treat the disease, all we currently have are two types of drugs that mask the symptoms for a while. Lixisenatide and liraglutide offer a real improvement by treating the basis of the disease and, therefore, preventing degeneration."
The study was funded by the Alzheimer's Society, which said that it is now funding a clinical trial of liraglutide in people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease
