» Articles » PMID: 29955650

Translational Inhibition of APP by Posiphen: Efficacy, Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics in the APP/PS1 Mouse

Abstract

Introduction: Translational inhibition of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by Posiphen has been shown to reduce APP and its fragments in cell culture, animal models, and mildly cognitively impaired patients, making it a promising drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: We used a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (APP/presenilin-1) to examine Posiphen's efficacy, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics.

Results: Posiphen treatment normalized impairments in spatial working memory, contextual fear learning, and synaptic function in APP/presenilin-1 mice, without affecting their visual acuity, motor skills, or motivation and without affecting wild-type mice. Posiphen had a prolonged effect in reducing APP and all related peptides for at least 9 hours after the last dose. Its concentration was higher in the brain than in plasma, and the most abundant metabolite was N-norPosiphen.

Discussion: This is the first study demonstrating the therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting the translation of APP and its fragments in an Alzheimer's disease model.

Citing Articles

Synergistic activity of nootropic herbs as potent therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease: A cheminformatics, pharmacokinetics, and system pharmacology approach.

Don Bosco R, Selvan Christyraj J, Yesudhason B J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2025; 8(1):1745-1762.

PMID: 40034353 PMC: 11863741. DOI: 10.1177/25424823241307019.


A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending dose study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of Posiphen in subjects with early Alzheimer's Disease.

Galasko D, Farlow M, Lucey B, Honig L, Elbert D, Bateman R Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024; 16(1):151.

PMID: 38970127 PMC: 11225352. DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01490-z.


Comparative Analysis of Posiphen Pharmacokinetics across Different Species-Similar Absorption and Metabolism in Mouse, Rat, Dog and Human.

Maccecchini M, Mould D Biomolecules. 2024; 14(5).

PMID: 38785991 PMC: 11117716. DOI: 10.3390/biom14050582.


A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending dose study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of Posiphen in subjects with Early Alzheimer's Disease.

Galasko D, Farlow M, Lucey B, Honig L, Elbert D, Bateman R medRxiv. 2024; .

PMID: 38562783 PMC: 10984053. DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.20.24304638.


A case for seeking sex-specific treatments in Alzheimer's disease.

Lynch M Front Aging Neurosci. 2024; 16:1346621.

PMID: 38414633 PMC: 10897030. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1346621.


References
1.
Olivares D, Huang X, Branden L, Greig N, Rogers J . Physiological and pathological role of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease through iron mediated oxidative stress; the role of a putative iron-responsive element. Int J Mol Sci. 2009; 10(3):1226-60. PMC: 2672027. DOI: 10.3390/ijms10031226. View

2.
Nhan H, Chiang K, Koo E . The multifaceted nature of amyloid precursor protein and its proteolytic fragments: friends and foes. Acta Neuropathol. 2014; 129(1):1-19. PMC: 4282969. DOI: 10.1007/s00401-014-1347-2. View

3.
Lilja A, Luo Y, Yu Q, Rojdner J, Li Y, Marini A . Neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions of (-)- and (+)-phenserine, candidate drugs for Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One. 2013; 8(1):e54887. PMC: 3559887. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054887. View

4.
Lu D, Soriano S, Bredesen D, Koo E . Caspase cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein modulates amyloid beta-protein toxicity. J Neurochem. 2003; 87(3):733-41. DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.02059.x. View

5.
Yu Q, Reale M, Kamal M, Holloway H, Luo W, Sambamurti K . Synthesis of the Alzheimer drug Posiphen into its primary metabolic products (+)-N1-norPosiphen, (+)-N8-norPosiphen and (+)-N1, N8-bisnorPosiphen, their inhibition of amyloid precursor protein, α-Synuclein synthesis, interleukin-1β release, and.... Antiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem. 2013; 12(2):117-28. PMC: 5214460. DOI: 10.2174/1871523011312020003. View