Study Shows Asthma Drug Salbutamol's Potential as Alzheimer's Treatment

A study by Lancaster University published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience suggests the common asthma drug salbutamol could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, reports Medical Xpress . Via a new automated "high throughput" screening technique for studying the structure of the misfolding tau protein, the researchers examined a sample of more than 80 existing compounds and drugs simultaneously to determine their effectiveness at preventing tau fibril formation. They verified that epinephrine stabilizes tau proteins and prevents formation, but the human body does not easily digest epinephrine and it is quickly metabolized. In screening available compounds with similar chemical structures, the authors identified four current drugs as possible candidates, including salbutamol. Salbutamol was found to inhibit tau aggregation in vitro, and adding the compound to solutions containing tau dramatically reduced the density of fibrous tau structures responsible for tau neurofibrillary tangles. The researchers think salbutamol binds to an early stage of tau fibril formation, reducing their ability to form an initial nucleus which fuels aggregation. Salbutamol is easily ingested and absorbed into the brain, persisting in the body for several hours. "If follow up research reveals an ability to impede Alzheimer's disease progression in cellular and animal models, this drug could offer a step forward, whilst drastically reducing the cost and time associated with typical drug development," said Lancaster University's David Townsend.