Daratumumab in Alzheimer's disease

What is it about?

There is evidence that Alzheimer’s disease is associated with impaired energy usage and inflammation within the brain. Daratumumab is an antibody that targets CD38, a protein that may play a role in impaired energy usage and inflammation. Previous studies in cell culture and animal models have suggested that CD38 may be a novel target for Alzheimer's disease treatment. In this small preliminary study, we found that daratumumab can be safely given to patients with Alzheimer's disease, and that it can significantly reduce the proportion of a type of white blood cells that express CD38, suggesting that this medication is affecting its target. However, in this limited study there was no evident clinical improvement. Future studies would be needed to ascertain whether CD38 may prove to be a viable target for AD treatment.

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Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This is the first study to explore whether this novel approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease may be feasible.