Efficacy
of TrkA-targeted neuroprotective drugs in a mouse model of AD
Investigator(s): Horacio
Saragovi, PhD
Institution(s):
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, S.M.B.D.-Jewish General Hospital
Duration: 2008 - 2009
Alzheimer's disease is a disorder characterized by the progressive loss of neurons in the brain. These neurons are associated with memory and learning, and their health is dependent on a growth factor termed nerve growth factor (NGF). Neuroprotection as a therapy has been proposed for a long time, but very few genuinely neuroprotective drugs have been developed and tested. Also the field has been stigmatized by premature and poorly conceived testing of NGF in humans. These clinical trials failed due to the poor drug-like properties of this protein. The investigator's group has developed small molecules with drug-like properties, which mimic NGF action. The investigator has already shown that one of these agents rescues neurons and memory in aged rats that are cognitively impaired (age-associated cognitive decline). In this study the investigator will now further test the ability of these NGF-like neuroprotective agents to rescue neurons in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.