According to WHO estimates, there are about 50 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is estimated that by 2050 this figure could rise to 152 million. Life expectancy is increasing significantly in many countries. As a result, as its residents age, the likelihood of contracting such diseases increases. Therefore, it is very important to find a treatment. For now, there is no treatment. Several ways to slow the progression of symptoms have been investigated. But a little more. What if the key to preventing the disease lies in a drug that is already on the market? This is the proposal of a group of scientists from several American research centers, whose work has played an interesting protective role in sildenafilmuch better known as Viagra.
Actually, this was already suspected. There have been several studies that have indicated the possible effectiveness of Viagra in prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, they were contradicted by others who did not find sufficient evidence. However, a much more complete investigation has now been carried out, thanks to which its authors have given a more thorough answer to this question. And it appears that this protective effect does exist.
In fact, they estimate that using Viagra may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. more than 50%. They demonstrated this through both computer analysis and laboratory studies.
The role of Viagra against Alzheimer’s disease
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors are a group of drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction due to their ability to relax the smooth muscle of the penis and thus promote the flow of blood causing ejaculation. Among them is sildenafil, better known as Viagra.
In a specific case sildenafil, in the past it began to be used to treat pulmonary hypertension. However, a curious and pleasant side effect was discovered that led researchers to think that it might have other uses. This is how the famous little blue pill’s most famous feature came to be.
However, this and others phosphodiesterase inhibitors It is also known to have effects on the nervous system. In particular, they have been observed to play an important role in neural signaling pathways that lead to neuroplasticity. That is, the process by which our nervous system adapts and education environmental incentives. Given this observation, studies began to be conducted to test whether Viagra could protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
In particular, some studies have shown that its administration can reduce excess phosphorylation of tau proteins. These are proteins that help stabilize structures called microtubules that support cells. For it to function properly, a chemical group known as phosphate must be added in a process called phosphorylation. Therefore, phosphorylation is necessary, but only to the required extent. If it is produced in excess, we are faced with the phenomenon of hyperphosphorylation, in which tau protein tends to aggregate, forming peculiar tangles associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study that tips the scales
Clearly, those studies that show that sildenafil reduces hyperphosphorylation indicate that indeed Viagra protects against Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are studies in which there is no truly direct relationship between disease prevention.
For this reason, the authors of the study, which was just published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease They wanted to go further and investigate on two levels.
On the one hand, they took stem cells from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and turned them into neurons. This is an important step. Neurons cannot be extracted from a living patient, making this, among other things, a very difficult disease to study. However, it is possible to extract stem cells, that is, those that have not yet differentiated into a specific cell type, such as neurons. You can even take readily available adult cells, such as skin cells, reprogram them back into stem cells, and then turn them into neurons.
Once the neurons from Alzheimer’s patients were obtained, they cultured them in the laboratory and analyzed what happened when they were exposed to sildenafil. As expected, they watched two effects who talk about the protective role of Viagra against Alzheimer’s disease.
First, phosphorylation of tau proteins present in neurons was significantly reduced. And secondly, they watched changes in gene expression associated with inflammation, neural communication and cellular structure. Expression of a gene means it is being used. All cells of the same organism contain the same genes, but each is expressed for use in the right place and at the right time. For example, the gene that synthesizes insulin is expressed in the pancreas, but not in eye cells. In addition, even in the pancreas it is expressed when there is excess glucose in the blood, which must be removed. In short, genes are turned on and off as needed. This is what is known as gene expression.
The Other Side of Research
After the laboratory studies were completed, these scientists also turned to artificial intelligence. Specifically, they analyzed data from several health insurance companies in the United States to see if there was a link between people who took Viagra and those who developed Alzheimer’s disease.
The algorithm found a clear connection. Consumption sildenafilfor both erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, appears to be associated with a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease over time.
Therefore, it is worth continuing to explore this relationship. After all, this is a drug that It is already in pharmacies. It had already undergone clinical trials that showed it was safe, so the bureaucracy administering it for this purpose could move more quickly. However, some more research will still need to be done to get even more reliable results and, above all, to decide which population group should use the drug. This is a good starting point, but there is still a long way to go before it can be used for this purpose.
Source: Hiper Textual
