Researchers at Macquarie University have broken world-first ground in developing a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

A trial in mice has yielded promising results for reversing memory loss, and researchers expect to be able to move on to a human trial.

Professor Lars Ittner told Jim Wilson the gene therapy treatment has proven both effective and, crucially, safe.

“Gene therapy means that we deliver the genetic information that encodes for this particular enzyme into the brain to reconstitute what is lost during Alzheimer’s disease.

“Complicated processes led us to the discovery of p38gamma … we earlier recognised its protective function, and that intrigued us to see if we can exploit it for therapy.

“We are currently working together with the university … to partner with the pharmaceutical industry, which brings the necessary funding to the table to test it in clinical trials in the next two to three years.”

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