Scientists identify a potential new treatment for vascular dementia
Researchers with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson are hoping a small peptide born in a laboratory can be a game-changer for the treatment of patients presenting with vascular dementia.
There are currently no real treatments for vascular dementia other than making lifestyle changes. The group behind this research hopes they can change that forever.
“Patients are in desperate need of an effective treatment, and we are doing everything we can to help find that treatment,” Meredith Hay, PhD, a professor of physiology with the college and co-inventor of this peptide, said in a statement. “The greatest reward would be to see a safe and effective treatment for people who currently have very few options.”
Hay and her team have been examining the potential of this peptide , PNA5, for more than a decade at this point. When it enters the brain, it triggers chemical reactions that increase oxygenation and decrease inflammation. PNA5 has already been shown to improve blood flow and target inflammation in a way that improves cognitive performance—now the goal is to see if this can help treat vascular dementia.
“Inflammation is part of the body's natural repair system,” Hay explained. “If you have an injury, inflammation helps the healing process. The problem occurs when inflammation does not switch off. In vascular dementia, the brain's resident immune signals can remain activated.”
Hay’s team is currently planning to kick off a new clinical trial funded by a $9 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. For this study, 60 healthy volunteers will receive injections of PNA5 at different doses to evaluate the peptide’s safety. If that trial is a success, additional research could be underway by late 2027.
After helping invent PNA5, Hay co-founded a startup, ProNeurogen, focused on the development and potential commercialization of the small peptide. In the same statement, she shared the satisfaction she has felt seeing PNA5 continue to gain more momentum in recent years.
“The most rewarding part is seeing a basic scientific observation move toward something that could eventually help patients and families—that's what gets me up every day," she said. "It's exciting, but also very humbling.”
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.