News Excerpt:

New possibilities of increasing oestrogen activity in the brains of women have the potential to become preventative therapy against devastating diseases like Alzheimer’s.

About Alzheimer’s:

• The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s, is a progressive, life limiting, neurodegenerative condition, which damages and destroys parts of the nervous system, especially the brain, over time.
• Women are most likely to be affected. They make up two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s.

Key highlights of the study:

• The latest research suggests that the activation of a brain protein called CYP46A1, using an anti-HIV drug, could help protect women from developing disease.
• The main function of this protein in the brain is to get rid of excess cholesterol by transforming it into a cholesterol product called 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24SOH). 
• Women transition into menopause, usually between 45 and 55 years of age. 
• Menopause is caused by loss of oestrogen, a hormone essential for maintaining brain health as well as learning and memory skills.
• Early menopause, with onset before 45 years, is a risk factor for memory loss and for developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
• Research suggests that women who experience early menopause who go on to get Alzheimer’s disease have higher levels of a protein called tau in their brain, which is a hallmark of the disease. 
• Tau is a protein that stabilises neurons - the nerve cells that send messages all over your body to allow you to do everything from breathing to talking, eating, walking, and thinking. 
• In people with Alzheimer’s, tau forms toxic tangles, which contribute to the deterioration of brain functions and memory loss.
• In the human study, 24SOH was measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid around the brain and spinal cord) of patients. 
• Higher 24SOH levels corresponded to lower levels of Alzheimer’s pathological markers like tau - but only in women.

Anti-HIV drug helpful for Alzheimer’s:

• Earlier research has shown that CYP46A1 can be activated by low doses of the commercial anti-HIV drug Efavirenz.
• CYP46A1 activators like Efavirenz may offer a new therapeutic approach to promote oestrogen-mediated brain protection in women at risk of Alzheimer’s disease - women with early menopause, for example.
• This approach is different from hormone replacement therapies (HRT), which have yielded variable results so far. 
• The use of HRT seems to reduce the risk of women developing Alzheimer’s disease - but only if given at the time of menopause symptoms.
• There seems to be no protective effect if given after menopause - and HRT is controversial after being linked to a higher risk of cancer.

Conclusion:

New possibilities of increasing oestrogen activity in the brains of women are welcome - and have the potential to become preventative therapy against devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.