This leukemia drug may treat dementia, Parkinson's disease

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The US Food and Drug Administration claim that a drug to treat leukemia has the potential of curing acute diseases like dementia and Parkinson's.

This statement comes on the basis of a small study which says that this drug has the potential to improve motor and congnitive functions in dementia and Parkinson's patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that causes a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. 

During the course of the disease, dopamine (DA)-producing neurons are lost and bundles of proteins known as Lewy Bodies (LBs) form in the brain.

The researchers found that the leukemia drug nilotinib may restore brain dopamine and reduce toxic proteins associated with Lewy Bodies formation in Parkinson's disease and dementia patients.

The findings were reported in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

(With IANS inputs)