Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. In collaboration with the group of Lenka Maletinska from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS, scientists from the Institute of Physiology CAS, Department of Experimental Hypertension, have investigated new possibilities for treating this disease using special peptides that regulate food intake. These peptides, known as anorexigenic (appetite suppressing) and orexigenic (appetite promoting), were tested in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
The results showed that the tested peptides can reduce inflammation in the brain, reduce the deposition of toxic amyloid plaques and alleviate pathological changes in the tau protein that are typical of Alzheimer’s disease. Three test substances were particularly effective: a prolactin-releasing peptide analogue (palmⁱ¹-PrRP31), liraglutide (a drug used in diabetes) and a stable form of ghrelin (Dpr³-ghrelin). These agents not only slowed disease progression but also suggested the possibility of a common mechanism of action based on suppression of the TLR4 inflammatory pathway.
This research offers hope for new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using agents originally developed to regulate metabolism and food intake.
Reference:
Mengr A., Šmotková Z., Pačesová A., Železná B., Kuneš J., Maletínská L.: Reduction of Neuroinfammation as a Common Mechanism of Action of Anorexigenic and Orexigenic Peptide Analogues in the Triple Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer´s Disease. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 20 (18) (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11481-025-10174-w. IF = 5.2
