Human Stem Cells Predict Efficacy of Alzheimer Drugs

Why do certain Alzheimer medications work in animal models but not in clinical trials in humans? In the brains of Alzheimer patients, deposits form that consist essentially of beta-amyloids and are harmful to nerve cells. Scientists are searching for pharmaceutical compounds that prevent their formation. In animal models, certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were found to reduce formation of harmful beta-amyloid variants; however, in subsequent clinical studies, these NSAIDs failed to elicit any beneficial effects. Using reprogrammed patient neurons for drug testing, researchers found that “[in] order to predict the efficacy of Alzheimer drugs, such tests have to be performed directly on the affected human nerve cells,” concludes Dr. Philipp Koch of the University of Bonn, who led the study. Click here to read the full article.