According to a new study, a drug taken on regular basis by people who have had organ transplants protects against Alzheimer's disease. They take the drug in order to prevent organ rejection.

The study has been conducted by the scientists from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Online version of the findings of the study has been published; it will also be published in the July 7 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease is considered to be the most common neurodegenerative disorder associated with age and it has no cure. It has been shown in an evidence that toxic protein aggregates called Aß oligomers selectively target and causes disruption in the points of communication between brain cells; it leads to impairing memory in people who suffer from the disease. As a result of this, there is a large consensus that if this kind of toxicity is prevented, it would be an effective treatment strategy.

Calcineurin is an enzyme controls communication between memory formation and brain cells. It has been shown by the UTMB research team and others that this enzyme mainly leads to the harmful effects of the Aß oligomers. Calcineurin is found in the nervous system of patient suffering from Alzheimer's.

According to Giulio Taglialatela, Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the department of neurology and director of UTMB's Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, "We are currently working on devising treatment strategies to obtain the same beneficial effects in AD humans using low doses of calcineurin inhibitors that result in minimal or no immunosuppression, thus limiting possible undesired side effects".