{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1822246,
        "msgid": "copper-based-drug-could-open-new-path-for-alzheimers-therapy-1782319920",
        "date": "2026-06-24 23:25:00",
        "title": "Copper-Based Drug Could Open New Path for Alzheimer's Therapy",
        "author": "Wisnu Arto Subari",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Health",
        "summary": "Laboratory studies suggest a copper-based compound, Cu(ATSM), may reduce toxic protein levels in the brain and improve memory function. Researchers at Monash University found the drug enhanced the brain's natural waste clearance system by boosting P-glycoprotein pump activity. While promising, the findings remain preclinical and require human trials to confirm clinical benefits.",
        "content": "<p>A copper-based drug compound is considered capable of opening a new\ndirection in the treatment of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. In laboratory\nstudies, researchers reported that the compound named Cu(ATSM) was able\nto lower levels of toxic proteins in the brain while improving memory\nability. Researchers from Monash University reported that Cu(ATSM) not\nonly lowered levels of amyloid-beta, a protein strongly linked to\nAlzheimer\u2019s, but also improved long-term spatial memory. The findings,\npublished in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, highlight a therapeutic approach\nthat targets the brain\u2019s natural waste disposal system. This approach is\nimportant because in Alzheimer\u2019s, the brain\u2019s ability to clear harmful\nsubstances is known to decline. As a result, toxic proteins such as\namyloid-beta can accumulate and disrupt cognitive function. Alzheimer\u2019s\ndevelops partly due to the accumulation of amyloid-beta in the brain.\nUnder normal conditions, this protein can be cleared through the\nblood-brain barrier, a protective layer that regulates which substances\ncan enter and exit the brain. However, in Alzheimer\u2019s patients, this\nsystem can become less efficient. When the clearance process weakens,\nharmful proteins accumulate more easily and potentially worsen brain\nfunction impairment. In this process, the P-glycoprotein pump, or P-gp,\nplays an important role. P-gp is a transporter protein that helps move\nwaste from the brain into the bloodstream. When the function of this\npump declines, the brain\u2019s ability to clear toxic material also\ndecreases. The study showed that Cu(ATSM) potentially helps restore this\nclearance system by increasing the quantity and activity of P-gp pumps.\nLead study author Dr Jae Pyun explained that the therapy works by\nimproving the function of brain blood vessels, thereby linking to a\nreduction in toxic protein levels and improved cognitive performance.\n\u201cThis is the first study to show that Cu(ATSM) can increase the\nabundance of the P-gp clearance pump in an Alzheimer\u2019s model by 24.1\npercent, effectively connecting blood-brain barrier repair with toxic\nprotein reduction and improved cognitive function,\u201d Dr Pyun said. The\nresearch team also reported that restoring the waste disposal pathway\nprovided measurable impact. Over 56 days, this therapy was said to lower\ntoxic amyloid-beta by 42 percent and improve spatial learning by nearly\n44 percent. \u201cBy repairing these pumps, the brain can finally clear\ntrapped waste,\u201d the research team stated. These results suggest that\nrepairing the blood-brain barrier could be one key to slowing or\nreducing some of the damage seen in Alzheimer\u2019s. However, the findings\nare still at the laboratory stage and do not yet constitute evidence of\nclinical benefit in humans. Senior study author Professor Joseph\nNicolazzo said Cu(ATSM) has the potential to move towards human trials\nfaster than some other experimental therapies. The reason is that the\ncompound has already entered clinical testing for other neurological\nconditions. \u201cCu(ATSM) is a copper compound with anti-inflammatory and\nneuroprotective properties that has progressed to clinical testing for\nconditions such as Parkinson\u2019s and ALS,\u201d Nicolazzo said. According to\nNicolazzo, reducing the amyloid burden in the brain is a meaningful\ntarget for improving symptoms. He assessed that these preclinical\nresults support the rationale for testing Cu(ATSM) in early-stage,\nsymptomatic Alzheimer\u2019s. \u201cBecause reducing amyloid burden has been\nclinically proven to improve functional outcomes, these preclinical\nresults strongly support the basis for testing this drug in early\nsymptomatic Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u201d he said. Although the findings are\npromising, researchers still need to understand in more detail how\namyloid-beta exits the brain after the blood-brain barrier is repaired.\nOne theory suggests that Cu(ATSM) may also increase the activity of\nmicroglia, immune cells in the brain that help break down toxic\nproteins. Dr Dayan Goodenowe, a neuroscientist with a Ph.D.\u00a0who was not\ndirectly involved in the study, assessed that targeting the blood-brain\nbarrier and waste disposal system is a promising field. According to\nhim, Alzheimer\u2019s is not merely a matter of plaque storage in the brain.\n\u201cAlzheimer\u2019s involves the ageing biological environment of the brain,\nincluding membrane biology, inflammation, vascular function, lipid\nmetabolism, and cellular resilience,\u201d Goodenowe said. He emphasised that\nany single mechanism must still be validated before it can be known\nwhether the approach truly provides meaningful clinical benefit. \u201cThe\nkey question is not just whether amyloid changes, but whether the\nintervention improves cognition, function, and outcomes in humans,\u201d he\nsaid. Goodenowe added that research needs to move from the mechanistic\nand preclinical stage towards evaluation of safety, dosage, efficacy,\nand clinical validation in humans. These findings highlight the\npossibility of therapeutic strategies that not only focus on\namyloid-beta protein, but also on brain blood vessel function and the\nharmful protein clearance system. In other words, repairing the brain\u2019s\nnatural waste disposal system could become an important part of future\nAlzheimer\u2019s therapy development. Further studies are still needed to\nconfirm Cu(ATSM)\u2019s mechanism of action, its safety, appropriate dosage,\nand whether the benefits seen in laboratory models can translate into\nreal improvements in human patients. For now, Cu(ATSM) offers an\nintriguing early signal: future Alzheimer\u2019s therapies may not only\ntarget protein accumulation, but also repair the biological systems that\nare supposed to clear these proteins from the brain.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/copper-based-drug-could-open-new-path-for-alzheimers-therapy-1782319920",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}