Promising new drug candidate for Alzheimer’s

Amyloid paques are a major focus of Alzheimer’s research and drug development efforts worldwide. But there’s another less understood hallmark of the disease, suspected to play an underlying role in its progression: chronic neuroinflammation. Could blocking these inflammatory waves ward off cognitive impairment?

Through a promising new Alzheimer’s treatment discovery, Kyung Bo Kim has found an answer: Yes. Kim targeted the proteasome, the cellular process responsible for round-the-clock removal of specific proteins compromising cell survival. He previously helped create drugs that interfere with this process in cancer cells to destroy them, including FDA-approved anti-cancer medication carfilzomib. This time, Kim turned his attention to immunoproteasome, a special proteasome found in immune cells, and tied to inflammatory responses. Unusually high levels have been detected in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

With funding from the National Institute on Aging, Kim identified immunoproteasome inhibitor compounds that controlled inflammation. When tested on Alzheimer’s mouse models, cognitive function improved regardless of amyloid plaque buildup — an encouraging sign this treatment could benefit those at any stage of Alzheimer’s.

Next up: the investigational new drug enabling study, a crucial step before applying for clinical trials. Kim’s exploring how these same compounds could stop other diseases. So far, they’ve proven highly effective at stopping age-related macular degeneration, a cause of blindness.