Advances in Alzheimer's treatment from Málaga
An international research team, in collaboration with the Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga and the University of Málaga, has discovered the potential of the natural compound D-chiro-inositol to improve memory in models of Alzheimer's disease.
This study, published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, demonstrates that oral administration of D-chiro-inositol can reduce the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the hippocampus and decrease the neuroinflammatory response. Additionally, an improvement in specific cognitive abilities, including recognition memory, has been observed.
Details of the research and its impact
The research was led by the Neuropsychopharmacology group of IBIMA, directed by Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca and Juan Suárez. In collaboration with institutions such as the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the study indicates that D-chiro-inositol can act simultaneously on several mechanisms involved in Alzheimer's, rather than focusing on a single therapeutic target.
D-chiro-inositol, which is extracted from carob, has been shown to have effects on glucose regulation and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. In animal models, after administration of the compound for several months, a reduction of amyloid deposits in the hippocampus, a key region for learning and memory, was observed.
Moreover, the treatment moderated microglial activation, thereby improving the neuronal environment and contributing to brain de-inflammation. These improvements resulted in a partial recovery of recognition memory in the treated animals.
The study has been funded by the Junta de Andalucía and the European ERA4Health programme, highlighting the importance of this initial research in the search for new therapeutic strategies against Alzheimer's.
Although the results are promising, they are considered preliminary, indicating that further studies will be required to confirm the efficacy of D-chiro-inositol in other models and its safe application in humans.
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