HIV Drugs Offer Protection Against Alzheimer's

Some commonly used HIV drugs, known as NRTIs , or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, offer significant protection against the development of Alzheimer's disease.

This is revealed by a new study conducted by the research team led by Jayakrishna Ambati, at the University of Virginia Health System, UVA Health, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association . The researchers emphasize that these results could translate into the prevention of approximately one million new cases of Alzheimer's each year globally.

What are NRTI drugs for HIV

NRTIs are drugs that inhibit the replication of the HIV virus, but previous studies by Ambati's group had already suggested that these drugs can also prevent the activation of inflammasomes, protein complexes of the immune system involved in the development of Alzheimer's. Hence, the hypothesis that patients treated with NRTIs may have a reduced risk of developing the disease.

How the study was conducted

To test this hypothesis, the researchers analyzed two of the largest health databases in the United States: the Veterans Health Administration database, 24 years of data, predominantly men; the MarketScan database, 14 years of data, commercially insured and more representative population. They included more than 270,000 patients at least 50 years old who were taking NRTIs for HIV or hepatitis B, excluding those already diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The results of the study

The analysis adjusted for confounding variables, such as the presence of other preexisting conditions. The data showed that the risk of developing Alzheimer's decreased significantly and proportionally with the years of taking NRTIs: in the Veterans Health Administration database: a 6% reduction in risk for each year of treatment; in the MarketScan database: a 13% reduction in risk for each year of treatment. This reduction was not observed in patients taking other types of anti-HIV drugs, suggesting a specific effect of NRTIs.

A specific test against Alzheimer's

According to Ambati, these results are particularly relevant considering that more than 10 million people develop Alzheimer's disease worldwide each year. If confirmed in clinical trials, NRTIs could prevent about a million new cases per year. The research team has also developed a new molecule, called K9, that blocks inflammasomes more safely and effectively than traditional NRTIs and will be tested specifically for Alzheimer's.

The study represents an important step forward in the search for preventive strategies against Alzheimer's, underlining the need to start clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of NRTIs, and in particular of the new molecule K9, in preventing the disease. The authors highlight that, in a context of rapid increase in Alzheimer's cases and related healthcare costs, these results open new perspectives for public health.