Promising 'Natural' Alzheimer's Treatment Currently In Clinical Trials

Researchers are moving forward with a new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease, which is currently in the clinical trials, according to researchers at Michigan State University.

"This particular research has focused on Ashwagandha, an herbal remedy that's been used in Eastern medicines for centuries," said Muraleedharan Nair, Michigan State University natural products chemist, has patented a botanical compound, withanamides, in a news release. He is also the creator of the spinoff company, Natural Therapeutics, which will soon begin testing trials.. "Our compound withanamides may work to prevent Alzheimer's disease at the onset, and it also could prevent its progression."

Though plants can't be patenteded, many of the compounds in them can. In fact, the university actually holds the patent for withanamides. Previous research showed that the compound found in the plants' seeds actually proved to be a powerful anti-oxidant with double the strength of anything in today's market. Even better, the compound has shown to hold protective cells against damaging attacks of rogue protein that are found in the earliest stage of Alzheimer's.

As the neurodegenerative illness begins when specific proteins start breaking down or at the wrong place, the bad fragment, known as BAP, pushes stress on cell membranes that fill them with plaques that eventually kill the cells.

What's so complicated about this is that the majority of protein that's involved is part of natural, healthy process. And pharmaceutical companies involved have worked to block fractions of these proteins that produce BAP.

"Rather than trying to stop only the malevolent cleaving, our compound keeps the bad protein from entering the cell where it does its damage," he added. "Our studies have shown that withanamides effectively protect the brain cells by neutralizing the effect of BAP."

In the study, researchers worked to protect the mouse brain models by showing that withanamides passed the blood brain barrier via filters that were controlled with chemicals to reach the brain.

Findings showed that the compound did, indeed, pass the blood brain barrier. In the near future, researchers hope to seek FDA approval post clinical trials.

"Dr. Nair discovered his molecule in a food-safe plant," concluded Jim Richter, Natural Therapeutics President. "It's also classified as GRAS -- generally regarded as safe -- by the FDA. This means that we can bypass many of the hurdles that slow synthetic molecules that need testing. By compressing the timeline dramatically, we'll be able to save tens of millions of dollars, and if successful, bring an effective treatment to Alzheimer's patients."