Inositolreverses Alzheimer'sin mice

A compound that can prevent and even reverse Alzheimer's in a mouse model of the disease has been fingered by Canadian researchers. University of Toronto neuroscientist JoAnne McLaurin and colleagues found that the scyllo stereoisomer of inositol (shown) is effective whether it is administered as a preventative treatment or after the disease is already established (Nat. Med., published online June 11, dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm1423). On the other hand, the myo isomer of inositol, which is marketed as a health supplement, has no impact on the disease. The researchers believe that scyllo-inositol alters the folding of amyloid-β proteins and stabilizes the proteins in nontoxic forms. This stabilization prevents or reverses aggregation of amyloid-β proteins into the toxic oligomers that some blame for the disease. The compound is now in Phase I clinical trials.