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Davunetide sex-dependently boosts memory in prodromal Alzheimer's disease
Illana Gozes1, Jason Blatt2, Alexandra Lobyntseva2
1The Elton Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience and Adams Super Center for Brain Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. igozes@tauex.tau.ac.il.
Background:
The tauopathy inhibitor, davunetide shows sex-dependent efficacy in women suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy. Extending these findings to prodromal Alzheimer's disease, we submitted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12 weeks/16 weeks follow-up, davunetide clinical trial results in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT00422981), to a sex-dependent analysis.
Methods:
One hundred forty-four individuals, separated into eight groups (1:2 placebo-and 2 doses, 5 mg davunetide/daily or 15 mg davunetide/twice-daily, with matching placebo intranasal volumes), were evaluated.
Results:
Significant dose-dependent cognitive increases were observed in men compared to women with a test of delayed (12 ss) visual matching to the sample. In a test of semantic working memory and attention (digit span), women showed a significant low-dose placebo effect, ensuing in a high dose significant davunetide improvement, over the matched placebo. Correlating anxiety with cognition showed sex-opposing results, with women depicting significant anxiety correlations with delayed matching to sample.
Discussion:
In conclusion, sex-specific prodromal Alzheimer's drug development is encouraged, with davunetide playing a lead initiative role.
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