“We were pretty amazed that the treatment completely reversed cognitive impairment in 20 days” — Tim Boyd…. By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer’s Reading Room This research is very interesting. First, it had already been recognised that people with rheumatoid arthritis were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Second, an artificial version of GM-CSF, a drug called Leukine, is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been used to treat cancer patients who need to generate more immune cells. If the drug makes it to a phase three clinical trial with Alzheimer’s participants we will let you know. However, it is not something that is likely to happen any time soon. New study shows GM-CSF reduces AD pathology and eliminates memory loss A signaling protein released during rheumatoid arthritis dramatically reduced Alzheimer’s disease pathology and reversed the memory impairment of mice bred to develop symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, a new study by the University of South Florida reports. Researchers found that the protein, GM-CSF, likely stimulates the body’s natural scavenger cells to attack and remove Alzheimer’s amyloid deposits in the brain. The study appeared online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. People with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease leading to inflammation of joints and surrounding tissue, are less likely than those without arthritis to develop Alzheimer’s. While it was commonly assumed that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help prevent onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, recent NSAID clinical trials proved unsuccessful for patients with Alzheimer’s. The USF researchers are among the first to look at what effect innate immunity gone awry in rheumatoid arthritis may play in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease. “Our findings provide a compelling explanation for why rheumatoid arthritis is a negative risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” said principal investigator Huntington Potter, PhD, professor of molecular medicine at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and director of the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “Moreover, the recombinant human form of GM-CSF (Leukine®) is already approved by the FDA and has been used for years to treat certain cancer patients who need to generate more immune cells,” Dr. Potter said. “Our study, along with the drug’s track record for safety, suggests Leukine should be tested in humans as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers analyzed three rheumatoid arthritis growth factors in mouse models and identified the signaling protein GM-CSF as the most promising for potential protective benefit against Alzheimer’s disease. Then, they peripherally injected GM-CSF into two groups of mice – those genetically altered to develop memory problems mimicking Alzheimer’s disease and normal, aged mice. Behavioral tests confirmed the Alzheimer’s mice were exhibiting signs of memory impairment at age 12 months. Another two control groups of mice – the Alzheimer’s mice and normal mice – were administered saline (placebo). After the 10th day of injections, all the mice began a series of behavioral testing

Original Source of Can Leukine Stop or Slow Down Alzheimer’s Disease?