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Researchers at UT Health San Antonio have found a possible new way to treat Alzheimer’s and brain cancer.
In a statement, the group of researchers explained that they had a major breakthrough with potentially being able to turn IV drugs into oral treatments for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The study reported that, as of now, treatments for these aggressive diseases aren’t able to be administered orally to be effective — so they are given through IV.
But the researchers found a new strategy that allows the body to use its own protein receptors to help the drugs enter cells more efficiently.
“This innovative chemical approach can potentially make any intravenous drug able to be taken orally,” said Dr. Robert A. Hromas, dean of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, as quoted in the statement. “It also can promote any drug crossing the blood-brain barrier. This will remarkably broaden the number of agents we have to treat brain cancer or dementia.”
The lead researcher said this breakthrough could change how the FDA evaluates and approves these types of drugs.
