Findings Could Pave Way to New Alzheimer’s Disease Treatments

Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be able to be restored by inhibiting certain enzymes involved in abnormal gene transcription, according to a preclinical study led by Zhen Yan, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of physiology and biophysics. “In this study, we have found that administration of a specific Sgk1 inhibitor significantly reduces the dysregulated form of tau protein that is a pathological hallmark of AD, restores prefrontal cortical synaptic function, and mitigates memory deficits in an AD model,” she says. “These results have identified Sgk1 as a potential key target for therapeutic intervention of AD, which may have specific and precise effects.”