The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7253 p821
14 June 2003

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Nature abstract (more)

Lithium could be a new weapon against Alzheimer's disease

Lithium, a long-established treatment for bipolar disorder, could be a useful weapon against Alzheimer's disease, American researchers suggest.

They have shown that lithium, along with kenpaullone, another inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), can prevent the build up of protein deposits in cultured cells and in the brains of mice with induced Alzheimer's disease. The researchers also showed that lithium and kenpaullone prevented the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, another pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. "GSK-3 offers an attractive target for pharmacological agents aimed at reducing the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles," they say (Nature 2003;423:435).

The authors of an accompanying news and views article (ibid p392) point out that lithium has a narrow therapeutic window and a high frequency of side effects in older patients. "Luckily, however, the effective concentrations of lithium in cell culture, and the serum lithium concentrations in mice, lie in the clinically acceptable range, suggesting that many potential patients may benefit," they add.