Regulating Copper in the Brain Stops Memory Loss Associated With Alzheimer’s

Summary: Researchers have developed a molecule that regulates the circulation of copper in the brain. The molecule extracts copper trapped in amyloid plaques in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Administered orally, the molecule inhibits memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s.

Source: CNRS

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques in the patient’s brain. These plaques sequester copper, and contain approximately five times as much as a healthy brain. 

Two CNRS scientists from the Coordination Chemistry Laboratory recently developed, with their colleagues from the Guangdong University of Technology and Shenzhen University (China), a molecule that regulates the circulation of copper in the brain.

This patented molecule extracts the copper trapped in amyloid plaques, and reintroduces it in the brain’s normal enzymatic circuit (which needs copper to function).

Administered orally to “Alzheimer” mice, this molecule inhibits memory loss among sick mice.

This shows a swirly head
These plaques sequester copper, and contain approximately five times as much as a healthy brain. Image is in the public domain

These results, which were published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, open a new therapeutic avenue that could prove effective in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease among humans.

The scientists are now seeking a pharmaceutical partner to develop preclinical trials for this drug candidate.

About this Alzheimer’s disease research news

Source: CNRS
Contact: Francois Maginiot – CNRS
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Closed access.
TDMQ20, a Specific Copper Chelator, Reduces Memory Impairments in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Models” by Jie Zhao, Qihui Shi, Hongda Tian, Youzhi Li, Yan Liu, Zhen Xu, Anne Robert, Qiong Liu, Bernard Meunier. ACS Chemical Neuroscience


Abstract

TDMQ20, a Specific Copper Chelator, Reduces Memory Impairments in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Models

Besides targeting amyloid or tau metabolisms, regulation of redox metal ions is a recognized therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Based on the bioinorganic chemistry of copper, we designed specific chelators of copper(II) (TDMQs) insight to regulate copper homeostasis in the brain and to inhibit the deleterious oxidative stress catalyzed by copper-amyloid complexes. An oral treatment by TDMQ20 was able to fully reverse the cognitive and behavioral impairment in three different murine models, two nontransgenic models mimicking the early stage of AD and a transgenic model representing a more advanced stage of AD. To our knowledge, such a comparative study using the same molecule has never been performed. Regular C57BL/6 mice received a single injection of human Cu-Aβ1–42 in the lateral ventricles (icv-CuAβ) or in the hippocampus (hippo-CuAβ). In both cases, mice developed a cognitive impairment similar to that of transgenic 5XFAD mice. Oral administration of TDMQ20 to icv-CuAβ or hippo-CuAβ mice within a 16-day period resulted in a significant improvement of the cognitive status. The 3-month treatment of transgenic 5XFAD mice with TDMQ20 also resulted in behavioral improvements. The consistent positive pharmacological results obtained using these different AD models correlate well with previously obtained physicochemical data of TDMQ20. The short-term novel object recognition (NOR) test was found particularly relevant to evaluate the rescue of declarative memory impairment. TDMQ20 was also able to reduce the oxidative stress in the mouse cortex. Due to its reliability and facile use, the hippo-CuAβ model can be considered as a robust nontransgenic model to evaluate the activity of potential drugs on the early stages of memory deficits.

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