Two common cancer drugs could help treat Alzheimer’s, according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers found that combining letrozole (used for breast cancer) and irinotecan (used for colon and lung cancer) improved memory and reduced brain damage in mice with Alzheimer’s. The drugs seemed to fix gene activity linked to the disease.
Scientists reviewed more than 1,300 medications and chose these two because they changed gene expression in a way that may protect brain cells. Past studies also showed people who took these drugs for cancer were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. While this research is still early, it gives hope for a faster, cheaper way to find new treatments using drugs that are already approved.
Experts say more testing is needed before giving these drugs to people with Alzheimer’s. Both can have strong side effects like nausea or diarrhea. But if trials go well, this approach could lead to new treatments that slow or even reverse memory loss.
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Publish Date: 2025-07-22 06:00:00