Drug for $9 per tablet used to treat HIV patients could reverse memory loss

A new study has found that a $9-per-tablet drug used to treat HIV may also help reverse memory loss in older people.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that Maraviroc, sold under the brand name Selzentry, improves memory in middle-aged animals.

It will now move to human studies to explore whether it can improve memory or be an early intervention for people with dementia.

The drug works by disabling a certain gene that produces a cellular protein that HIV uses to invade them.

But this same gene also plays a role in removing unnecessary memory cells, and studies show that removing it strengthens memory.

It is estimated that more than five million Americans suffer from dementia, and limited treatments are available to delay the symptoms of the disease. No drugs.

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Nature, conducted the first experiments on mice.

They found that when the CCR5 gene is overactive, the rodents forget the difference between the two different cages.

But when removed, the animals were found to have much better memory and brain cell connectivity.

This was also observed when co-administered with the drug.

Professor Alcino Silva, the neurobiologist who led the study, said: “Our next step will be to organize a clinical trial to test the effect of maraviroc on early memory loss for early intervention purposes.

“Once we fully understand how memory is degraded, we have the potential to slow down the process.”

He explained that brains rarely store memories alone and instead in groups, so that remembering one activates the other.

But as we age, the brain gradually loses its ability to link memories together, leading to problems with remembering.

Maraviroc has been used in the United States since 2007 and was also approved for patients over the age of two in 2016.

Given in liquid or tablet form, patients are instructed to take the drug twice a day as long as there is an infection.

The drug can be prescribed to people infected with the tropical type CCR5, which accounts for more than 90% of HIV cases.

Dementia is triggered when brain cells are damaged, making it difficult for them to communicate with each other.

Patients often lose interest in their usual activities, have difficulty controlling their behavior and emotions, and may even have difficulty in social situations.

There are several medications that can be used to treat dementia, but all aim to slow the progression of the disease.