Researchers in The Netherlands showed that statins, normally taken to lower bad cholesterol, can also protect nerve cells from becoming damaged, as occurs in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

That nerve cell protection is believed to lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. According to Alzheimer’s Association, as many as 5.3 million people in the US live with the disease.

In animal experiments conducted in the lab at University of Groningen, the statin Lovastatin prevented nerve cells from dying and thereby prevented the loss of memory capacity.

The research was published in the June issue of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Statins Might Protect Against Alzheimer’s

Cyclopamine works by blocking the so-called “hedgehog” pathway, long known to promote and guide cell and organ growth while lovastatin (aside from cholesterol-clogging effects) is known to curb destruction of proteins that put the brakes on cell growth, causing cancer cells to self-destruct through a process called apoptosis.

The unlikely pair of these two compounds has been found by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center to dramatically kill brain cancer cells.

Once the hedgehog is blocked by cyclopamine, the cancer cells become more susceptible to lovastatin.

The study was conducted on medulloblastoma cells grown in the laboratory.

Medullolastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in children. Only 50% of children with medulloblastoma survive who may suffer debilitating side effects caused by current toxic therapies.

Though yet to be tested in laboratory animals and humans, the tumor cell-killing by the combo is truly promising.

According to Charles Eberhart, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, ophthalmology and oncology:

“We already knew from earlier research that hedgehog controls brain cell survival and growth, and that blocking signals in this pathway may stop uncontrolled growth of cancer cells.

But the new work shows the hedgehog blockade may halt another powerful cell-survival signal, and lovastatin could provide the added boost necessary to kill more cancer cells.”

Source: Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center

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Lovastatin- Cyclopamine Combo Kills Brain Cancer Cells