Viagra could be a promising Alzheimer’s treatment

Searched, didn’t see it discussed already.

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Can Viagra prevent or reverse Alzheimer’s disease? Older men’s ship may be coming in. New research from the Cleveland Clinic suggests the erectile-dysfunction drug could ward off cognitive decline, illustrating how artificial intelligence can help scientists repurpose old medications for new diseases.

The study, published this month in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, builds on earlier research by the Cleveland Clinic that identified sildenafil, the generic name for Viagra, as a promising Alzheimer’s treatment.

Researchers first identified genes associated with the disease’s pathology, amyloid plaque and tau tangles in the brain. They then mapped out the molecular interplay among more than 1,600 drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration and Alzheimer’s-related proteins. After identifying 66 medications that interact with Alzheimer’s genes and pathology, they settled on sildenafil as the one with the most potential.

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Researchers grew neurons from the stem cells of Alzheimer’s patients in test tubes and exposed them to sildenafil. What do you know? The drug increased brain cell growth and decreased toxic tau, which usually develops in the early to middle stages of the disease. This suggested possible mechanisms by which sildenafil might arrest the disease.

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But more time is needed to test this out further:

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It’s doubtful that Viagra explains why men suffer from Alzheimer’s at much lower rates than women, which has been true since before the drug was approved. And no, older men shouldn’t rush to ask their doctor for a prescription. Placebo-controlled trials are needed to prove its efficacy, since observational and test-tube studies don’t always bear out.

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Article makes a case for how AI will speed up potential other uses for already approved FDA drugs:

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Diseases typically have diverse causes, and medications work in diverse ways. Scientists have typically taken many years, if not decades, to figure these out. One of AI’s great promises is that it will enable researchers to connect these dots in warp speed, cutting down on development time for new drugs and rapidly putting existing ones to new uses. Who knows? Maybe a Viagra-Ozempic combo could be a cure for Alzheimer’s.

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Point being, spring a boner, save your brains, boys.

WSJ