Friday 27 May 2022 09:34 PM $9-a-tablet drug used to treat HIV patients could help reverse memory loss trends now
View
comments
A $9-a-tablet drug used to treat HIV could also help to reverse memory loss in older people, a new study finds.
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that Maraviroc — sold under the brand name Selzentry — improved memory in middle aged animals.
It will now be moved to human trials to investigate if it can strengthen memory or be an early intervention for dementia patients.
The drug works by turning off a specific gene that makes a cell protein used by HIV to invade them.
But this same gene is also involved in deleting needless memory cells, with studies showing that when it is removed memory is boosted.
More than five million Americans suffer from dementia, estimates suggest, with limited treatments available to slow the diseases symptoms. There is no cure.
A UCLA research team found that Selzentry was able to limit cognitive decline in rats, and are prepared to begin human trials
