A new study published in the Journal of Neurology has found a potential link between HIV drugs and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study, which analyzed prescription data from over 225,000 individuals, revealed that HIV-positive patients taking reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RT inhibitors) had a lower rate of AD compared to the general population.
According to the researchers, RT inhibitors โ medications commonly used to treat HIV โ may inhibit enzymes in the brain that are associated with the development of AD. This discovery has sparked interest in exploring the potential of HIV drugs as a new treatment for AD.
The study, led by researcher Jerold Chun and supported by notable foundations and the National Institute on Aging, highlights the significance of finding new therapies for AD as the number of individuals with the disease is expected to nearly double by 2050.
Chun’s previous work on gene recombination in neurons associated with AD also played a role in the findings of this study. By analyzing anonymized medical records, the researchers were able to establish a link between RT inhibitor exposure and a reduced incidence of AD in HIV-positive patients.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to conduct clinical trials of RT inhibitors on individuals with early AD to further investigate the potential benefits of these drugs in treating the disease. Additionally, further research is needed to identify specific versions of RTs in the AD brain for more targeted treatments.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute on Aging โ NIH, the Shaffer Family Foundation, and the Bruce Ford & Anne Smith Bundy Foundation, indicating the growing interest and support for translating these findings into new treatments for AD.