New Breakthrough in Halting Dementia Progression Discovered by Scientists

Scientists from the University of Helsinki have discovered that a compound known as a PREP inhibitor can prevent the build-up of a harmful protein responsible for memory disorders, among other things. The inhibitor reduces Tau accumulation and toxicity in cellular models, including patient-derived neurons from frontotemporal dementia patients. After promising cellular results, PREP inhibitor treatment was also tested in a mouse model of frontotemporal dementia, leading to normal cognitive skills. The results support the further development of PREP-targeting drugs.