Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative, irreversible disease of the brain that affects both cognition and behaviour. The main characteristic of the disease is the presence of amyloidal plaque in the brain. The current lack of disease-modifying treatments presents a huge potential market for a new efficacious therapy.
The rational for treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) with modulation to GABA-steroids is based on evidence demonstrating that endogenous stress and sex steroids and their metabolites (GABA-steroids) induce memory and learning disruptions and development of dementia via their influence on the inhibiting GABA system in the CNS. In addition to the direct effects of GABA-steroids on memory and learning, the decreased neural activity that is a consequence of the enhancement of the GABA-system results in a reduced clearance of beta amyloid (Aß). The subsequent intracellular accumulation of Aß leads to polymerization of Aß, formation of neurotoxic protofibrills, and eventually formation of Aß plaque – the classical characteristic for Alzheimer’s Disease. Furthermore, the Aß accumulation generates cellular oxidative stress, which may lead to apoptosis (cell death).
Even an early sign of memory impairment is a very stressful experience, and in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease high production of the stress hormone cortisol and GABA-steroids, e.g. allopregnanolone and pregnanolone, have been demonstrated. Moreover, chronic elevated levels of these steroids have in their own been shown to be related to irreversible cognitive dysfunction. Thus, the experienced stress in these patients becomes a vicious circle and will further accelerate the progression of dementia.
The compounds of Umecrine Cognition, have selective modulating effect of GABA-steroids’ action on the GABAA receptor, and thereby preventing the GABA-steroids from inducing memory and learning disturbances and development of dementia. The invention represents a unique and novel treatment principle and no similar substances exist that block the noxious effects of endogenous and exogenous CNS-steroids.