Specialists from Sechenov University were the first in the world to propose and apply a new approach to Alzheimer's disease therapy – selective plasma sorption of extracellular DNA. This is a procedure in which circulating extracellular DNA and associated inflammatory factors are selectively removed from the blood. Three months after the course, specialists recorded an improvement in a number of cognitive functions in patients, the university's press service reported.
The new method was developed and applied by clinicians at University Clinical Hospital No. 3 of Sechenov University.
Currently, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and glutamate receptor blockers are used to improve cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease. Mono- and polyclonal antibodies are also being studied as therapy. However, their effectiveness is limited, and treatment can be accompanied by significant side effects, noted Vladimir Parfenov, Director of the A. Ya. Kozhevnikov Clinic of Nervous Diseases at Sechenov University.
According to Natalia Sivtsevich, a transfusiologist of the highest category and head of the transfusiology department at UKB No. 3, neutrophil extracellular traps, or NETs, are one of the key factors in systemic inflammation. They increase vascular wall permeability and contribute to the accumulation of β-amyloid, which is associated with disease progression. The formation of NETs in brain tissue and the microcirculatory bed also leads to neuronal damage.
Specialists hypothesized that reducing the level of circulating NET complexes could reduce systemic inflammation. Previously, there were no methods that would allow selectively reducing the number of neutrophil extracellular traps and circulating extracellular DNA in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
The new approach was tested as part of a pilot clinical study. The course consisted of three procedures with an interval of two to three days. The patients' condition was assessed before and after treatment using neuropsychological tests, biomarker analysis in cerebrospinal fluid, and brain MRI.
Three months after therapy, specialists recorded an improvement in memory, attention, and information processing speed. In addition, positive dynamics were noted in the daily functioning of patients according to the ADCS-MCI scale.