Scientists from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology are working on new ways to treat Alzheimer's disease. The new drug is also expected to be more effective in the treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders, the university announced in a release.
As reported in the Wrocław University of Science and Technology press release, the team led by Marcin Poręba, PhD, from the Faculty of Chemistry at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology intends to develop a new class of therapeutics, which will be antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs).
'The conjugates we are developing will target pathological features (so-called target points) characteristic of Alzheimer's disease', says Marcin Poręba, quoted in the press release.
He adds that tests will be conducted in collaboration with the team led by Professor Urszula Wojda from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw, to assess the effectiveness and safety of these conjugates.
'Antibody-drug conjugates are a type of targeted therapy that has already shown great potential in cancer treatment. They consist of three main components: an antibody, a linker and a drug. The antibody has a dual role because on the one hand it is a therapeutic agent, and on the other it serves as a carrier for a much more toxic drug. The antibodies are connected to the drug with a linker, e.g. a peptide, which is degraded in the tumour environment and releases the drug', we read in the release.
'Our conjugates will target proteins involved in disease progression, such as amyloid plaque deposits (Aβ) and tau tangles. These pathological proteins accumulate in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's disease, leading to inflammation, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death', Poręba says.
The National Science Centre awarded the Sonata Plus grant in the amount of nearly PLN 5 million for the project 'First antibody-drug conjugates in the therapy of Alzheimer's disease'. (PAP)
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