NEW YORK, June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at the Human Microbiology Institute (HMI) have uncovered a potential new Alzheimer’s treatment that significantly reversed the late-stage effects of the debilitating neurodegenerative disease.
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The results, published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, details the promising results that the research duo of Victor and George Tetz had in treating a 77-year-old Alzheimer’s patient with the repurposed medication deoxyribonuclease I, an enzyme approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mucus buildup in cystic fibrosis patients.
“Our results show potential for reversing the effects of a disease that dramatically impacts not only millions of patients around the world, but also their families,” said George Tetz, scientific officer, at HMI. “Our experimental drug has given one patient a new lease on life, and now we are continuing with our tests with the hopes of reversing the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other incurable diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s.”
According to the published case study, the male patient had been diagnosed with dementia and behavioral disturbance secondary to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease 30 months before the researchers first saw him. He had been undergoing routine treatment, but his cognitive condition continued to deteriorate and he had rapidly progressing amnesia and behavioral changes.
The patient was unable to remember his name or family members, among other things, and had been diagnosed as terminal when his family agreed to try DNase I. Just two days after treatment began, improvements were seen. And he was soon able to recognize family members, dress himself, tie his shoelaces, feed himself and walk and ride an exercise bike.
“Treatment with DNase I allowed the patient to withdraw from a terminal state and resulted in significant improvements in cognitive and behavioral function, including the ability to walk and perform everyday tasks with near independence,” said Victor Tetz, scientific advisor at HMI.
HMI, a non-profit research organization, is working to convert its work into a drug to help treat dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is characterized by a progressive loss of brain tissue leading to amyloid-b accumulation and severe decline in cognitive function.
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood, and available treatments are limited in their efficacy, particularly for patients with more severe symptoms.
For more information about Victor and George Tetz and the Human Microbiology Institute, please contact Max Smetannikov with MVG at 917 310 3396 or Email
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SOURCE Human Microbiology Institute
