According to a study published in the journal ′Neurobiology′, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an Alzheimer′s medication, may help people with Down syndrome enhance their cognitive function. In a phase II clinical study, GM-CSF enhanced memory in Alzheimer′s patients.

GM-CSF is a normal human protein that has been used for different illnesses for over 30 years and is safe and well tolerated.

Alzheimer′s disease is more common in those with Down syndrome, and earlier research has shown that GM-CSF improves cognition and brain pathology in Alzheimer′s disease patients. This new study in mouse model revealed that GM-CSF improved cognition in mice without Alzheimer′s disease. Further, GM-CSF treatment improved cognition in normal ageing animals and reversed learning and memory problems, nerve cell death, and other abnormalities in the brain in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

The human version of GM-CSF/sargramostim has already been demonstrated to help those with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer′s disease and cancer patients improve their cognition. (ET Healthworld, March 31, 2022)