A drug that could represent a new treatment for Alzheimer's has been developed by a researcher from Kendal.

Scientists have developed a drug that works on both major aggregation-promoting ‘hotspots’ of the Tau protein in the brain - a key driver of neurodegeneration.

The drug, a peptide inhibitor called RI-AG03, was effective at preventing the build-up of Tau proteins in both lab and fruit fly studies.

RI-AG03 was first developed by Dr Anthony Aggidis - who grew up in Kendal - in the laboratory of the late Professor Allsop, using computational biology where it was tested in lab dishes.

Dr Aggidis, former Postdoctoral Research Associate at Lancaster University and visiting researcher at the University of Southampton, said: "Our research represents an important step toward creating treatments that can prevent the progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

“By targeting both of the key areas on the Tau protein, this unique approach could help address the growing impact of dementia on society, providing a much-needed new option for treating these devastating diseases.”

The research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, was released on Thursday, October 3.

The work was led by Lancaster University in collaboration with the University of Southampton, Nottingham Trent University, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.

Tau proteins play a crucial role in maintaining the structure and function of neurons but, in Alzheimer's disease, these proteins malfunction, clumping together to form long, twisting fibrils.

These prevent neurons from getting the nutrients and signals they need to survive and, as more neurons die, memory, thinking and behaviour become increasingly impaired, leading to the cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s.

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"Current aggregation inhibitors have had many side effects because they can interfere with the functions of many other proteins," Dr Aggidis explained. 

"RI-AG03 is specifically designed against the Tau protein, meaning it’s less likely to undesirably interact with other proteins.”

The team believe their work will have a significant impact on drug discovery efforts in the field of neurodegenerative diseases and now plans to test RI-AG03 in rodents, before proceeding to clinical trials.