Initially, the study was aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of antiretroviral therapy in Alzheimer’s patients. Credit: fizkes / Shutterstock.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) in the US has led a pilot study that indicated that lamivudine, a drug approved for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B, could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

This study revealed that lamivudine improves neurodegeneration and inflammation in Alzheimer’s patients.

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It found that participants with mild cognitive impairment experienced significant improvements after being treated with the medicine for six months.

UT Health San Antonio’s Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies developed the trial.

The study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of lamivudine in individuals with cognitive decline and involved 12 participants aged between 52 and 83.

Participants underwent lamivudine treatment, and researchers collected blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples at the start and after the treatment ceased.

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These samples were essential for studying biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease.

The study was initially designed to assess the safety and feasibility of antiretroviral therapy in Alzheimer’s patients. However, the results surpassed expectations, showing a significant reduction in neurodegeneration markers and inflammation.

These findings have paved the way for further research into the use of antiretroviral drugs for Alzheimer’s.

The study’s co-principal investigator is Biggs Institute Department of Neurology clinical associate professor A Campbell Sullivan.

Sullivan said: “It’s an exciting time for Alzheimer’s disease research with many promising trials coming out.

“Disease-modifying treatments for dementia are limited and can have worrisome side effects. Our results show that treatment with lamivudine was safe and suggests a beneficial effect for those with early Alzheimer’s disease.”