Drug commonly taken during pregnancy can cleanse Alzheimer's brain

NEW YORK – A drug commonly used to induce labor may offer new hope in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, according to recent research.

Scientists have discovered that this drug, which has been used for decades to treat pregnant women, can also revive the brain's waste disposal system – a system that is often impaired in Alzheimer's patients.

Alzheimer's and other dementias are sometimes called “dirty brain” diseases because they affect the brain's ability to eliminate toxic waste. When this disposal system slows down, harmful substances build up and damage healthy brain tissue.

However, using drugs that stimulate muscle contractions may restore some of these lost functions, said Dr. Douglas Kelley, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester and lead researcher on the study.

He explained: “These drugs, which are used in over a million births each year, can be given as a tablet, intravenously or as a local treatment.

“This research shows that restoring cervical lymphatic function can significantly prevent the age-related slowing of waste removal from the brain.”

The study, published in the journal Nature Aging, examined the brain's glymphatic system – a complex network responsible for flushing out waste products.