While there is growing evidence of a link between blood iron levels and the development of Alzheimer’s disease, new research into the effects of an available iron-lowering drug has raised concerns about its use as a treatment for the condition.
With agingIron deposits in various brain areas can hinder normal cognitive functioning. Studies have discovered that iron plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease excessive iron levels it contributes to the deposition of beta-amyloid and the formation of tangles in the brain that promote neurodegeneration.
Therefore, drugs that reduce iron overload by binding to iron, a process called chelation, have received a lot of attention as possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. However, new research into the effects of a certain iron chelator drug on the progression of Alzheimer’s has raised alarms.
The study was a collaboration between Australian institutions including the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (The Florey), the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Monash University, Curtin University, The Queensland Brain Institute, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the University of Newcastle.
The researchers examined the drug deferiprone, an iron chelator that is usually used to remove excess iron in people with certain blood disorders (thalassemia, sickle cell anemia) who have too much iron in their bodies due to repeated blood transfusions. The 12-month clinical trial was conducted in 81 patients over the age of 54 with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed amyloid deposits. Participants were randomized to receive 15 mg/kg oral deferiprone or placebo twice daily. The primary outcome was improved cognitive functioning – memory, executive function and attention – which the researchers assessed at baseline, six and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include a change in iron levels in the brain.
MRIs showed that, compared to patients in the placebo group, those treated with deferiprone had reduced iron levels in the hippocampus, an area of the brain heavily involved in memory. Although it reduced iron levels in the brain, patients given the drug generally showed accelerated cognitive decline, mainly caused by worsening performance on executive function tests. Executive functioning is the term given to the higher-level mental processes that allow us to plan, focus our attention, remember, and juggle multiple tasks.
The researchers say their study results suggest that lowering iron levels using deferiprone makes matters worse for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The research was published in the journal JAMA Neurology.
Source: Scimex
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