Scientists at the University of Waterloo have discovered that antidepressant medications can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, recently published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, found that selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRI medication) can delay the development and growth of amyloid-beta proteins, which can clump together and form a plaque, contributing to disease symptoms.
“These are promising findings for people with Alzheimer’s who are on SSRIs,” said Praveen Nekkar, a professor at the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo. “These finding may not only highlight benefits for people with depression and Alzheimer’s but can also provide insights to serve as a guide to future drug development to treat the disease.”
